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Michael Piggin terror trial: Jury fails to reach verdict

Jaanbaz

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Michael Piggin told the court he collected weapons because it was "cool"

The jury in the trial of a teenager accused of plotting terrorist attacks in his home town has failed to reach a verdict.

Michael Piggin, from Loughborough, was accused of two counts of terrorism which included plans to attack his former school, a mosque and a cinema.

The 18-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to possessing explosives.

The prosecution confirmed there would be no retrial after the jury failed to reach a verdict after 11 days.

During the trial at the Old Bailey prosecuting lawyer Max Hill QC said Piggin had plotted a "Columbine-style massacre" in the Leicestershire town.

He showed weapons found in his bedroom and videos of the teenager making Neo-Nazi salutes and shouting 'EDL' outside a mosque.

'For entertainment'
Following a raid at his home in Beaumont Road, Shelthorpe, police found several air rifles, component parts of pipe bombs, a crossbow and a swastika flag hung above his bed.

Piggin, who was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome after his arrest in February last year, said he wrote about attacks to cope with bullying and tested explosives "for entertainment".

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Police found several weapons and partially assembled petrol bombs in his bedroom

Videos shown during the case showed him throwing petrol bombs behind a leisure centre and writing racist graffiti on a wall.

The teenager denied possessing articles for a purpose connected with terrorism and having a Mujahideen Poisons Handbook, which is banned under terrorism laws.

Throughout the trial Piggin denied any real plans for attacks and said it had all "just been in his head".

He said he "didn't have a problem with Muslims in general" and described racist comments made on videos as "banter".

On Friday the judge dismissed the jury after they said there was "no real prospect of them ever reaching a verdict that they agreed on".

This latest trial was a re-trial after a previous jury failed to reach a verdict in November.

Piggin will be sentenced for three counts of possessing explosives and one of carrying a knife in the street on 13 June.

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The jury was shown videos of Piggin throwing homemade petrol bombs


BBC News - Michael Piggin terror trial: Jury fails to reach verdict
 

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