Teen who planned mosque mass murder given 10-year sentence

A teenage boy has been sentenced to 10 years in custody after plotting a mass murder at a mosque in Greenock. The 17 year old was arrested in January when police caught him carrying an airgun and aerosol cans outside the Inverclyde Muslim Centre. He had planned to lock worshippers inside and set the building on fire. The High Court in Glasgow heard that he was heavily influenced by extremist and neo Nazi beliefs, taking inspiration from Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Anders Breivik.

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The teenager had initially thought about planting bombs at his school but later switched his focus to the mosque. Investigators found messages where he spoke of infiltrating the centre by pretending to convert to Islam. He had also asked an acquaintance to live stream the burning of the mosque alongside a manifesto. Judge Lord Arthurson said the boy’s plan could be described as a “quite diabolical atrocity” that would have caused multiple deaths if police had not intervened.

The mosque’s chairman Mohammed Akhtar said he was shocked but also expressed forgiveness, adding that the teenager and his family deserve sympathy during such a difficult time. He stressed the importance of understanding one another and thanked the police for their quick response, which prevented tragedy and reassured the community of its safety.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service described the plan as deeply disturbing and motivated by racial and religious hatred. Omar Afzal from the Scottish Association of Mosques said the case highlighted the urgent need for solidarity, education, and strong political leadership to counter hate.

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The teenager pleaded guilty to intending to commit acts of terrorism and a further charge under the Terrorism Act. Alongside the 10 year custodial sentence, he will also face eight years of supervision upon release. The court was told that he had been radicalised online from the age of 13 through extremist content. While the planned attack left the community shaken, leaders emphasized that the best response to hate was unity and policy action to prevent future radicalisation among young people.