Man goes on trial accused of planning terror attacks

A man has gone on trial accused of planning terror attacks from his home in Edinburgh.

Gabrielle Friel allegedly “expressed affinity with and sympathy” for a mass murderer who was motivated by ‘incels’.

The 22-year-old allegedly intended to carry out acts of terrorism by conducting online research in an attempt to acquire a firearm.

A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh heard Friel allegedly searched the internet for ‘spree killing mass murderers’.

Prosecutors claim Friel also researched mass murders committed by individuals expressing motivation or affiliation with incels – the jury heard this was an expression for ‘involuntary celibates’.

Jurors also heard Friel allegedly expressed a desire to carry out a ‘spree killing mass murder’ and conducted further online research into buying a crossbow, a scope, 15 crossbow arrows, a machete and a ballistic vest.

He is then said to have assembled a crossbow at his home in Edinburgh and prosecutors claim these actions breached section five (1) (a) of the 2006 Terrorism Act.

The claims are contained in the second charge of a four-charge indictment read to jurors on the first day of proceedings against Friel at the city’s high court.

His alleged actions in the charge are said to have taken place between June 1, 2019, and August 16, 2019.

Friel, of Comely Bank Road, Edinburgh, denies two charges of breaching the Terrorism Act and two charges of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.

The first charge alleges that between June 1, 2019, and August 16, 2019, at various locations in Edinburgh, Friel possessed a crossbow, a scope, 15 crossbow arrows, a machete and a ballistic vest.

The locations named in the charge include his home in Comely Bank Road, Grindlay Court Community Justice Social Work in Edinburgh and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

Prosecutors claim this gave rise “to reasonable suspicion” that his possession was “for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of (an) act of terrorism”.

The third charge alleges that on various occasions between July 12, 2019, and August 16, 2019, at his home address in Edinburgh, Friel behaved “in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm”.

And the fourth charge claims that between August 14, 2019, and August 16, 2019, at Grindlay Court Community Justice Social Work Centre in Edinburgh, he behaved in a threatening manner.

It is said that on that occasion, he expressed an “intention to commit a terrorist attack”.

The trial continues.