'Racist planned terror attacks'

A man who wanted to save Britain from "multi-racial peril" made nail bombs to further his cause through terror attacks, a court has heard.

Martyn Gilleard, 31, "admired Nazism" and had links to white supremacist organisations, a jury at Leeds Crown Court was told. Four home-made nail bombs were found at his flat along with "potentially lethal bladed weapons", the prosecution said.

Mr Gilleard, of Goole, East Yorkshire, denies all terrorism charges. He denies preparing for terrorist acts and possessing articles and collecting information for terrorist purposes.

Andrew Edis QC, opening the case for the prosecution, told the jury how police found the nail bombs under a bed in Mr Gilleard's flat. Officers also discovered "potentially lethal bladed weapons", 34 bullets for a 2.2 calibre firearm and printouts from the internet about committing acts of terrorism, Mr Edis said.

These included instructions on how to make a bomb and how to poison someone to death, he added.

'Bar-stool nationalism'

The jury heard how other material found at the flat revealed Mr Gilleard was "a man of white supremacist groupings" and had an agenda similar to the National Socialists, or Nazis.

Describing the contents of one document written by Mr Gilleard, Mr Edis said: "He had come to decide that it was time to stop talking and start acting. There had been too much bar-stool nationalism and not enough courageous action to save this country from the multi-racial peril he believes it is in."

Mr Edis told the court it was "pretty clear" Mr Gilleard was "a man who admires Nazism".

He said the defendant's usual password was Martyn1488 - the number 14 referring to a 14-word phrase coined by David Lane, the founder of an American white supremacist paramilitary organisation. The prosecution said the phrase stated: "We must secure the existence of our race and the future for white children."

The jury was also told the use of 88 related to the letter H - the eighth letter of the alphabet - and HH referred to the "Heil Hitler" salute. Police also found a drawing of a Union flag with a swastika on it at the flat and Lane's 14 words written out, Mr Edis said.

'No harm intended'

The prosecution went on to describe how Mr Gilleard had admitted in police interviews that he sympathised with the views of white supremacists and accepted he was a racist.

However, Mr Gilleard also said he had become less racist recently and that he made the nail bombs to see if he could do it and did not think they would work, the court heard. He told police he did not intend to harm anybody.

Mr Edis told the jury it was down to them to decide if Mr Gilleard intended to use the bombs and weapons in terrorist acts. It was the prosecution's case that Mr Gilleard had the weapons and documents "for use in connection with furthering his political cause", he added.

The court was told Mr Gilleard had already pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to possessing 34 cartridges of ammunition without holding a firearms certificate.

The trial continues.

BBC