A teenage neo-Nazi accused of planning a “new Columbine” massacre thought about attacking a mosque when he was teased about being gay, a court heard.
The 17-year-old EDL member told a friend he had walked down to the local mosque in Loughborough, Leicestershire, after a bust-up with his brother, but “didn’t do anything”.
He confessed during Facebook chats to being consumed with “rage, hate, sadness and depression”, and got irate when taunted about not having a girlfriend, the Old Bailey heard.
The teen, who cannot be named because of his age, is accused of stockpiling knives, explosives, petrol and pipe bombs, and air guns in his bedroom while plotting a terrorist attack.
He allegedly wanted to carry out a Columbine High School-style massacre at his former school, and also planned to target Loughborough University, the local cinema, and council offices.
The teenager, who hung a Nazi swastika on his bedroom wall, was allegedly a white power fanatic who hated Muslims, the court has heard.
In Facebook chat logs shown to jurors, the boy told a pal about the bust up with his brother in January this year. “Got tempted to go to the mosque”, he said. “Had an argument with my brother, so I walked down there but didn’t do anything. I was tempted though.
“He really upset me, he said stuff he shouldn’t have. He thought I was gay because apparently I’m not normal. Every guy my age has got a girlfriend.”
The jury is being read extracts from more than 11,000 chat logs between the teenage defendant and his two pals, also 17, as they discussed plans to make homemade bombs and buy new weapons.
In one, he jokes about blowing up Poundland, writing: “Imagine attacking Poundland – this is because of your over-inflated prices – bang.” The football fan discusses the football scores among alleged terrorist plans and bragged of buying a new machete and black trench coat.
In one chat, he tells his friend: “Just been reading Mein Kampf. ‘He tried to become a painter but that went wrong. It’s actually good once you are passed the intro.”
Another log is filled with a hate-filled rant against immigration, the court heard. “Hear the results from the census a week ago?”, he wrote. “Leicester, London and another local city maybe Derby, white people are now a minority. It’s a disgrace, even in our own capital, we are now a minority. We need someone to do anything about it.”
He carries on by calling for the English Defence League and the British National Party to be in power, adding:
“We need a revolution. This country needs to wake up before it’s too late. As soon as someone speaks out, it is suppressed or portrayed as criminal and racist. Terrorists and paedos can walk the streets but someone standing up for this country can’t. How and when the revolution happens, I hope I live to see it.”
But in a more mellow moment, the teenage opens up to his friend about his heartache over girls. “I find it hard to interact, especially with girls”, he wrote. “Even if I do stand a chance, a girl would never ask me and I would never find the courage to ask a girl. Behind the rage, hate, sadness, and depression, I just want to be happy.”
The teenager, who was arrested in February this year at his home in Loughborough, suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome.
He denies possessing an article for a purpose connected with terrorism, possessing a document likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, and possessing parts for an improvised explosive. He has pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon.
The trial continues.