17-Year-Old Admits Plan to Burn Mosque in Terror Attack

A 17-year-old autistic teenager has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges after plotting a chilling attack to burn down a mosque in Greenock, Scotland - a case that exposes how dangerous extremist ideologies can warp a young mind.

The boy was arrested in January outside the Inverclyde Muslim Centre carrying an airgun, aerosol cans, and materials intended to trap worshippers inside before setting the building ablaze. The High Court in Glasgow heard the disturbing details behind his plans - including how he pretended to convert to Islam and attend prayers at the mosque to gain trust and access for his attack.

Initially, the teenager planned to bomb his school in December last year but switched targets to the mosque. Prosecutors revealed he had been radicalised through social media since the age of 13, consuming a toxic mix of far-right extremist content. Found on his phone were "inspirations" including Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Breivik - names synonymous with hate and mass violence.

Court documents reveal the boy's chilling mindset. He told an acquaintance via encrypted messaging that infiltrating "the target" - mosque or synagogue - was easy because he blended in by pretending to be one of them. He even requested the attack be live streamed online and had prepared a "final manifesto" to release as the mosque burned at its fullest congregation.

Despite his dark plans, the boy's mother became concerned when he left home dressed all in black with a camouflage rucksack on the morning of January 23. Police, acting on intelligence, were waiting at the mosque. When questioned about his bag, he coldly replied, "Guns, I'll tell you what's in the bag so you don't get hurt. I don't want to hurt you."

Inside the rucksack, officers found a German-made air pistol, ammunition, ball bearings, gas cartridges, and aerosol cans. A search of the teenager's home uncovered Hitler's Mein Kampf, a copy of the Quran, airsoft weapons, knives, and instructions to make explosives.

The defense painted a complex picture of a socially isolated, vulnerable boy who "imported wholesale" his worldview from the internet. Tony Lenehan KC said, "He was a 16-year-old boy who struggled to connect with the real world and absorbed dangerous ideologies online."

The teenager pleaded guilty to charges under the Terrorism Act and possession of documents likely to aid terrorism preparation. Sentencing has been deferred until next month, with the boy remanded in custody.

This case raises troubling questions about youth vulnerability, online radicalisation, and the intersection of mental health and extremist violence - showing how easily hate can fester in isolation and anonymity.