Terror suspect 'spoke of bombs under bed'

A man accused of terrorist offences who had links to white supremacist organisations made racist comments to workmates and spoke of having bombs under his bed, a jury heard yesterday. Police later recovered four nail bombs hidden in a holdall among other items seized during a raid at Martyn Gilleard's flat in Pool Court, Goole, which the prosecution claim he intended to "further his political cause."

Gilleard, 31, an admirer of Hitler and Nazism, denies conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, possessing articles for terrorist purposes and collecting information for terrorist purposes. He has admitted possession of 34 .22 cartridges.

Witness John Percival told Leeds Crown Court that Gilleard was already a fork lift truck driver at Howarth Timber when he began working there aged 18 last summer. He was waiting to go into the RAF, which he had now done, but his start had been delayed because his jaw had been broken in an assault.

He told the jury he got to know Gilleard by mixing in the smokers' area at the branch of the timber merchants at Breighton Airfield, Bubwith, near Selby .

"He once mentioned in jest of having bombs under his bed and if they blew up he would be nailed to the wall."

He said he did not take any notice of it "because nothing said at work was meant to be taken seriously."

Gilleard also spoke of what he used to do with gunpowder from fireworks when he was younger to make them have a bigger bang. "He said it's not making the fuse that's the hard part, it was putting it in without blowing yourself up."

He told the court he and Gilleard also spoke together about football, drinking and target shooting with air rifles. He was aware Gilleard's political views were to "the far right, the BNP, the BPP and the National Front."

Gilleard had put up some racist cartoons from the internet on the canteen wall and on occasions wore T-shirts with BNP or National Front logos on. He also expressed racist views particularly relating to Muslims. When two paratroopers were killed in Iraq, Gilleard commented "what would happen if we blew them up back here."

He told the jury because he was the youngest he thought it would make him feel older, more of a man and fit in by associating with Gilleard and the others. He had given Gilleard his e-mail and did receive a message from him referring him to a site about a Russian beheading. "I saw a Russian man, obviously a Jew, getting beheaded and slaughtered on camera. There was a swastika in the background."

Gilleard also spoke to him about joining the BPP but he had never taken it further out.

He agreed under cross examination by David Hatton QC defending Gilleard the name "Bulls...t Corner" was used to describe the smoking room because of all sarcastic comments and jokes there which were not taken seriously.

Production manager Robert Belton told the jury he dropped Gilleard in Goole on October 31 after the fork lift truck driver said police had raided his flat. He seemed panicky and on edge. Gilleard was arrested in Dundee at 1.40am on November 3. They were shown items found at his flat including swords, knives, an axe, a machete, balaclavas and a strip of nails.

The trial continues.

Yorkshire Post