Neo-Nazi teenager who made pipe bomb at home given rehabilitation order

A neo-Nazi teenager from Bradford who built a home-made pipe bomb and referred to Jo Cox's killer Thomas Mair as a "hero" has been handed a three-year youth rehabilitation order.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was a member of the prohibited underground neo-Nazi group National Action. Founded in 2013, the group was described by a member in 2014 as like "the British National Party (BNP), but more radical".

The teenager was found guilty last month of making explosives but acquitted of the preparation of terrorist acts. During a week-long trial, Leeds Crown Court heard how the pipe bomb was found in a desk drawer in his bedroom.

It was stated by prosecutors that a Snapchat sent by the boy showed a cartoon-like image of a mosque being blown up alongside the words: "It's time to enact retribution upon the Muslim filth."

The jury heard how the defendant celebrated the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, proclaiming her murderer, Thomas Mair, to be a hero. On the day Cox died the boy posted a picture of Mair to a social media account, saying "we need more people like him to butcher the race traitors".

Counter-terrorism officers raided the boy's home in July 2016 after a member of the public reported his Snapchat posts. An army bomb disposal expert was called out to the address to make the property safe.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Goss said the boy needed "a considerable amount of work and attention" to address his behaviour, according to the BBC. At the earlier trial the boy had claimed that he had been "merely fooling about with fireworks" to impress his friends, an assertion the judge rejected.

Also during his trial the teenager said he never had any real intention of carrying out an attack but said he still had Nazi views. The offender has been ordered to receive intensive counselling from a deradicalisation expert as part of his sentence.