PAA British teenager is standing trial after he is alleged to have planned a bomb and gun attack on a college which expelled him for bad behaviour.
Liam Lyburd, 19, is accused of amassing an arsenal to target Newcastle College and “shoot a bunch of people”. He was expelled in 2012 after spending just five weeks at the college for being disruptive in class.
Prosecutor Nick Dry told jurors at Newcastle Crown Court that a file recovered from Lyburd’s computer titled “Newcastle College” said: “You ruined my whole life … I will teach you a little lesson on respect with my 9mm hollow points.”
It also said, “Yes people will die, there’s no question about that.”
Newcastle CollegePolice computer expert Paul Wells said Lyburd’s laptop was used to access a “Dark Web” marketplace site called Evolution. A user named “Donald Trump” (probably not that one – although you never know) paid for gun parts and ammunition online using Bitcoins.
Lyburd was arrested on November 3 after police received a tipoff from someone (understandably) alarmed by his Facebook posts under the name “Felix Burns”.
Laughing as he was taken to the police station, Lyburd told police he had planned a massacre — but claimed that the plot was “a fantasy he did not plan to carry out”.
However, Lyburd has pleaded guilty to nine charges related to making five pipe bombs and explosive devices, as well as possessing a 9mm Luger Glock gun, bullets and CS gas, although he denies possessing the items with intent to endanger life.
