A self-styled "Anglo Jihadi" accused of planning a terrorist attack was "not just an online fantasist", prosecutors told a jury during closing arguments at Leeds Crown Court. Katherine Robinson argued there was evidence Muslim convert Jordan Richardson was preparing to turn his "jihadi fantasies into reality".
Richardson, 21, allegedly planned an "atrocity" with possible targets including a shopping centre after becoming interested in an extremist interpretation of Islam. The defendant "regularly expressed a wish to kill Jews" and made jokes about entering a synagogue in a suicide vest, the court heard.
Arrest and evidence discovered
Richardson was arrested on his way to work in Howden, East Yorkshire, in December last year carrying instructions for making mustard gas. He also had a note stating: "Throw all grenades into crowd; Shoot bystanders; Stab anyone who comes close; Do not get taken alive."
Police found a crossbow and knife at Richardson's home alongside online material showing "his interest in and affiliation with extreme Islamist ideology". The material included content "depicting and glorifying terrorist actions", prosecutors said.
One possible target was Meadowhall shopping centre near Sheffield, which appeared in Richardson's social media posts. His Instagram accounts included one with the handle 'Anglo Jihadi', the court heard.
Defence claims and prosecution response
Richardson claims his behaviour was fantasy and escape from depression and isolation, arguing he was "role playing the character of an extremist". The defendant says his online activity was a form of coping mechanism during a difficult period in his life.
However, Robinson told jurors Richardson was "a man who kept a lethal crossbow and knife in his house, who had a recipe for explosives, who was carrying around a detailed set of notes for how to make a chemical warfare agent". She described him as having "a plan to put all these things into effect, having suggested a location three weeks earlier".
The prosecutor highlighted Richardson's Instagram post showing Meadowhall's exterior followed by a clip featuring rainbows and dolphins with text reading: "How life feels when you finally give up and just start killing people brutally."
Modern terrorism landscape
Robinson told jurors that terrorism "takes all forms and involves all kinds of people you might not expect", describing the emergence of "homegrown terrorists". She explained that bomb-making information is now "readily available online for people who 30 years ago would have had no idea".
The prosecutor noted that potential terrorists "don't need to travel to other countries to meet people with a similar mindset", allowing people to "form networks and encourage extreme views" through online platforms.
Richardson, of Oliver Close, Howden, denies preparing for acts of terrorism. He also denies collecting information likely to be useful for committing terrorism and distributing terrorist publications. The trial continues.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
