Teenager Sentenced to 10 Years for Plotting Mass Murder at Bradford Mosques
Joe Metcalfe, 17, had meticulously researched and sought to emulate the terrorist attacks that took place in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019 and Buffalo in 2022.
He intended to disguise himself as an armed police officer and target Muslims during their worship.
Metcalfe, a right-wing extremist, was found guilty after trial of preparing to commit an act of terrorism, Yorkshire Live news website reported on Friday.
In addition, he had previously pleaded guilty to charges of encouraging others to commit terrorism, disseminating terrorist publications, and possessing a bladed article.
Furthermore, he was convicted in a separate trial for multiple rape charges, as well as coercive and controlling behavior towards a teenage girl.
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Head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, Nick Price, emphasized that Metcalfe's consumption and sharing of violent, racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic videos were not mere idle fantasies. Rather, Metcalfe had devised a detailed plan to carry out a massacre at a nearby mosque, while posing as an armed police officer.
His intention was not only to record the killings but also to escape, Price said, adding that Metcalfe had even stolen his father's car to conduct a reconnaissance mission and had attempted to secretly acquire a weapon by contacting a gun seller with the intention of shipping it to the UK.
He was apprehended before he could carry out the attack.
Source: Agencies
