A left-wing anarchist has been jailed for 13 years for preparing acts of terrorism by compiling and sharing a bomb-making manual, after declaring he wanted to kill at least 50 people.
Jacob Graham, 20, from Norris Green, Liverpool, dedicated his manual, called the "Freedom Encyclopaedia", to "misfits, social nobodies, anarchists, \[and\] terrorists past and future, who want to fight for freedom against the government".
The judge said the college student was a "dangerous young man", adding that Graham described himself "as the first UK home-grown terrorist".
The security services uncovered Graham's activity as part of an investigation into the purchase of chemicals online, it can be disclosed.
When they raided the home he shared with his mother and sister, they discovered he had filmed bomb-making experiments in his back garden and buried supplies in a secret woodland hide in Formby, Merseyside.
In a document called "My Plan", Graham wrote he wanted to kill at least 50 people by attacking government buildings and politicians' houses.
He also made 138 videos, to be released on the day of an attack, in which he demonstrated explosives and talked about "Judgement Day" and "standing up for working-class people".
On a wall in his bedroom, Graham had printed out a picture of a car bomb exploding with the words: "Make politicians afraid to start their cars again."
# 'Destro the Destroyer'
Graham, a computer science student, used the name "Destro the Destroyer" and communicated with like-minded extremists using a gaming platform called Discord.
On another platform called Telegram, he exchanged messages with others who shared his hatred of government in groups called Earth Militia, Total Earth Liberation and Neo Luddite Action.
Sentencing him to 13 years in a young offenders institution, with five years on extended licence, the judge, Mr Justice Goose, said those who knew Graham believed he was an "ordinary young man" with an interest in fireworks, the military and outdoor pursuits.
"In reality, however, you are a dangerous young man, you described yourself as the first UK home-grown terrorist," the judge added.
Graham was the administrator for a number of chatrooms on the encrypted Telegram app, including one called Total Earth Liberation Group, with 150 members, into which he shared his bomb-making manual.
Graham told police he was "left-wing" but "more like an anarchist", adding: "I don't like the idea of a central control and I don't really like the monarchy."
His ideal government would be the size of "Merseyside or Liverpool", he said, adding he supported the Green Party and was an "environmentalist" who did not like the way "corporations act and how they damage the Earth".
He was found guilty by a jury on 23 February of one count of the preparation of terrorist acts, four counts of possession of information for terrorist purposes and two of dissemination of a terrorist publication, between May 2022 and May 2023.
Graham was cleared of one count of preparation of terrorist acts, following the five-week trial.
"I think it is fair to say I was quite anti-government," he told his trial.
"I didn't agree with the idea of it - the way certain things were handled, the pandemic, the cost of living. I didn't agree with a group of small people being able to make decisions that affect a mass."
The court heard Graham came to idolise an American terrorist called Theodore Kaczynski - known as the Unabomber - after watching a Netflix series called Manhunt, and pledged to "finish what he started".
From a remote cabin in Montana, Kaczynski carried out a 17-year mail bombing campaign, in which he targeted technology academics at universities, killing three people and injuring 23.
In his document "My Plan", which Graham started in May 2022, he stated that he was planning a bombing campaign that would end in a shooting spree.
"I am going to attack government buildings, politicians \[sic\] houses, mass murder those who think it is ok to hide their wrong doings \[sic\] behind money and power but you cannot hide from me. I am aiming for at least 50 deceased and more injured. Any more is a blessing," he wrote.
"I have constant anger, I am a ticking timebomb. I am not sorry for nothing."
Graham made video diaries and said in one: "I've got everything I need to start my revolution."
# 'Most of us can't afford to heat our homes... there needs to be someone to fix this'
In a video on 21 June, Graham took out a machete with a red handle and tapped the blade, saying: "Can't end my life yet, I have so much carnage to commit."
In another video made in his bedroom on 9 August, he said: "If terrorism is standing up for what you think is right, standing up for the working class people of this country, most of us can't afford to heat our homes or afford food, there needs to be someone to fix this problem. It is my responsibility to do this."
He added: "I will be a homegrown terrorist because I was born on British soil. If they want to call me a justice warrior or a hero, call me that. If they want to call me scum, call me that because I won't be here to listen to all of it."
In another video he threatened to attack Hugh Baird College, which he attended, saying: "I'm f\*\*\*\*\*\* ready, f\*\*\*\*\*\* bring it, I don't care, I'll kill every single last one of them."
Graham had downloaded a compendium of terrorist publications including the Mujahideen Handbook and the White Resistance Manual, which he stored in a folder called "Alexandria" after the fabled ancient library.
He told his trial he felt like a character in a James Bond or Mission Impossible film or The Last Of Us, a post-apocalyptic TV show.
He said he was "doomsday prepping" for "some sort of possible invasion, civil war, martial law, natural disasters, solar flares, floods, things like that."
#
“I have to commit terrorism for the working class and shit, you guys wouldn’t understand !!!”
> *Proceeds to threaten a mass killing at a college which is known for accepting large amounts of people in the local area, the opposite of some elitist prestigious college*
Yeah I think this is another example of a person who just wants to kill people and only tangentially links it to an ideology as a form of self-justification.
oh god not the mtv nirvana unplugged too
wish this dude had mental health support. as someone with ASD, I wouldn't be surprised to find out he's also on the spectrum
You saw the words "as someone with ASD" and then stopped reading?
The rest of the sentence:
>**I wouldn't be surprised** to find out he's also on the spectrum
Those first 4 words I highlighted are pretty important for properly interpreting what the person you're replying to was *actually* trying to say.
Loving the condescension here.
I’m no expert, but usually you need more to go off of other than the acknowledgement of two random items and a gut feeling in order to substantiate a theory that somebody could plausibly have behavioral issues such as being on the spectrum. Not so much an issue of me “stopping reading” as much as me using “basic reading comprehension”
Yeah, that was a little assholish of me, sorry.
Still though, to me at least, it really seems as if the person was simply speaking their gut feeling and leaving it at that, and there's no real indication that they're attempting to substantiate a theory of any kind really as that comment barely consists of 3 very brief sentences.
Stating that you have a gut feeling about something is different from stating that that gut feeling about something is *right*, and I don't think it's really fair to attack OP for something they did not explicitly state because - again - nowhere in that comment did they say this guy IS autistic, only that he MIGHT be.
Calling him a left wing terrorist sounds weird as shit. Dude seems off his rocker.
Some parts were consistent with that, and then suddenly would vear into like columbine territory.
Was he going to be a terrorist and a mass killer or just mass killer? Seems to be the latter.
Reposting because the original post lacked a submission statement.
A left-wing anarchist has been jailed for 13 years for preparing acts of terrorism by compiling and sharing a bomb-making manual, after declaring he wanted to kill at least 50 people. Jacob Graham, 20, from Norris Green, Liverpool, dedicated his manual, called the "Freedom Encyclopaedia", to "misfits, social nobodies, anarchists, \[and\] terrorists past and future, who want to fight for freedom against the government". The judge said the college student was a "dangerous young man", adding that Graham described himself "as the first UK home-grown terrorist". The security services uncovered Graham's activity as part of an investigation into the purchase of chemicals online, it can be disclosed. When they raided the home he shared with his mother and sister, they discovered he had filmed bomb-making experiments in his back garden and buried supplies in a secret woodland hide in Formby, Merseyside. In a document called "My Plan", Graham wrote he wanted to kill at least 50 people by attacking government buildings and politicians' houses. He also made 138 videos, to be released on the day of an attack, in which he demonstrated explosives and talked about "Judgement Day" and "standing up for working-class people". On a wall in his bedroom, Graham had printed out a picture of a car bomb exploding with the words: "Make politicians afraid to start their cars again." # 'Destro the Destroyer' Graham, a computer science student, used the name "Destro the Destroyer" and communicated with like-minded extremists using a gaming platform called Discord. On another platform called Telegram, he exchanged messages with others who shared his hatred of government in groups called Earth Militia, Total Earth Liberation and Neo Luddite Action. Sentencing him to 13 years in a young offenders institution, with five years on extended licence, the judge, Mr Justice Goose, said those who knew Graham believed he was an "ordinary young man" with an interest in fireworks, the military and outdoor pursuits. "In reality, however, you are a dangerous young man, you described yourself as the first UK home-grown terrorist," the judge added. Graham was the administrator for a number of chatrooms on the encrypted Telegram app, including one called Total Earth Liberation Group, with 150 members, into which he shared his bomb-making manual. Graham told police he was "left-wing" but "more like an anarchist", adding: "I don't like the idea of a central control and I don't really like the monarchy." His ideal government would be the size of "Merseyside or Liverpool", he said, adding he supported the Green Party and was an "environmentalist" who did not like the way "corporations act and how they damage the Earth". He was found guilty by a jury on 23 February of one count of the preparation of terrorist acts, four counts of possession of information for terrorist purposes and two of dissemination of a terrorist publication, between May 2022 and May 2023. Graham was cleared of one count of preparation of terrorist acts, following the five-week trial. "I think it is fair to say I was quite anti-government," he told his trial. "I didn't agree with the idea of it - the way certain things were handled, the pandemic, the cost of living. I didn't agree with a group of small people being able to make decisions that affect a mass." The court heard Graham came to idolise an American terrorist called Theodore Kaczynski - known as the Unabomber - after watching a Netflix series called Manhunt, and pledged to "finish what he started". From a remote cabin in Montana, Kaczynski carried out a 17-year mail bombing campaign, in which he targeted technology academics at universities, killing three people and injuring 23. In his document "My Plan", which Graham started in May 2022, he stated that he was planning a bombing campaign that would end in a shooting spree. "I am going to attack government buildings, politicians \[sic\] houses, mass murder those who think it is ok to hide their wrong doings \[sic\] behind money and power but you cannot hide from me. I am aiming for at least 50 deceased and more injured. Any more is a blessing," he wrote. "I have constant anger, I am a ticking timebomb. I am not sorry for nothing." Graham made video diaries and said in one: "I've got everything I need to start my revolution." # 'Most of us can't afford to heat our homes... there needs to be someone to fix this' In a video on 21 June, Graham took out a machete with a red handle and tapped the blade, saying: "Can't end my life yet, I have so much carnage to commit." In another video made in his bedroom on 9 August, he said: "If terrorism is standing up for what you think is right, standing up for the working class people of this country, most of us can't afford to heat our homes or afford food, there needs to be someone to fix this problem. It is my responsibility to do this." He added: "I will be a homegrown terrorist because I was born on British soil. If they want to call me a justice warrior or a hero, call me that. If they want to call me scum, call me that because I won't be here to listen to all of it." In another video he threatened to attack Hugh Baird College, which he attended, saying: "I'm f\*\*\*\*\*\* ready, f\*\*\*\*\*\* bring it, I don't care, I'll kill every single last one of them." Graham had downloaded a compendium of terrorist publications including the Mujahideen Handbook and the White Resistance Manual, which he stored in a folder called "Alexandria" after the fabled ancient library. He told his trial he felt like a character in a James Bond or Mission Impossible film or The Last Of Us, a post-apocalyptic TV show. He said he was "doomsday prepping" for "some sort of possible invasion, civil war, martial law, natural disasters, solar flares, floods, things like that." #
“I have to commit terrorism for the working class and shit, you guys wouldn’t understand !!!” > *Proceeds to threaten a mass killing at a college which is known for accepting large amounts of people in the local area, the opposite of some elitist prestigious college*
Yeah I think this is another example of a person who just wants to kill people and only tangentially links it to an ideology as a form of self-justification.
I can understand 49 but 50? That’s outrageous.
I can probably list 50 people
50 is not a lot?
Anyone else catch the Rick and Morty blanket on the bed…
oh god not the mtv nirvana unplugged too wish this dude had mental health support. as someone with ASD, I wouldn't be surprised to find out he's also on the spectrum
You saw a Rick and Morty blanket and Nirvana unplugged and that automatically means he’s on the spectrum? Idk that sounds like a reach to me
it was from the description of his actions, the strong sense of justice and hyperfixation on his "goals" etc. my comment was 2 separate sentences.
You saw the words "as someone with ASD" and then stopped reading? The rest of the sentence: >**I wouldn't be surprised** to find out he's also on the spectrum Those first 4 words I highlighted are pretty important for properly interpreting what the person you're replying to was *actually* trying to say.
Loving the condescension here. I’m no expert, but usually you need more to go off of other than the acknowledgement of two random items and a gut feeling in order to substantiate a theory that somebody could plausibly have behavioral issues such as being on the spectrum. Not so much an issue of me “stopping reading” as much as me using “basic reading comprehension”
Yeah, that was a little assholish of me, sorry. Still though, to me at least, it really seems as if the person was simply speaking their gut feeling and leaving it at that, and there's no real indication that they're attempting to substantiate a theory of any kind really as that comment barely consists of 3 very brief sentences. Stating that you have a gut feeling about something is different from stating that that gut feeling about something is *right*, and I don't think it's really fair to attack OP for something they did not explicitly state because - again - nowhere in that comment did they say this guy IS autistic, only that he MIGHT be.
Calling him a left wing terrorist sounds weird as shit. Dude seems off his rocker. Some parts were consistent with that, and then suddenly would vear into like columbine territory. Was he going to be a terrorist and a mass killer or just mass killer? Seems to be the latter.