Hitler-inspired boy planned terror attack at mosque, and pretended to convert to Islam to gain access
The leader of a mosque where a Hitler-inspired teenager was plotting a massacre has told Sky News of the moment the boy pretended to convert to Islam to gain access, weeks before a terror attack which police prevented.
The boy, who was 16 years old at the time, idolised the Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik and was caught by detectives as he made his way to burn down the Inverclyde Muslim Centre in Greenock in January.
He was hoping the mosque, which has a capacity of 275 worshippers, would be full.
It is understood the teen had boasted online about his plans to livestream the attack after becoming radicalised on social media aged 13.
The youth, who was dressed in black and carrying an air rifle, had successfully hoodwinked the imam that he was serious about switching religion.
The young neo-Nazi, who cannot be legally identified because of his age, was left alone to film and draw sketches of the areas where his victims, including children, would be trapped as the planned firebomb attack unfolded.
Muhammad Bilal
‘He told me a very shocking statement’
For the first time, the mosque has given exclusive access to Sky News cameras as it reflects on the experience of people there and discusses the trust that has been broken.
The centre’s imam, Muhammad Bilal, recalled the moment he first encountered the teenager and allowed him to join in prayers in December 2024.
Mr Bilal said: “When he came here, he was a very good boy and only wanted to become Muslim.
“When he came, I gave him the Koran to get more knowledge.
“He told me a very shocking statement. He told me that he wanted a balanced life. ‘What do you mean’, I asked? He said: ‘I want closer to my creator if I become Muslim.'”
The boy, who has an autism diagnosis, believed that white people were in a “war” against other races and had “developed sympathies” with the Nazi Party.
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‘It gives us a lesson for the future’
Hamid Akhtar from the Inverclyde Muslim Centre said the incident had acted as a wake-up call.
He told Sky News: “The frightening bit was that somebody was so nice and so conning. Making us a fool that he wanted to convert, and we were helping him in every way and trusting him.
“It gives us a lesson in future about who comes in and what their intentions are. We have more security cameras now.”
The boy created his own “manifesto” on his mobile phone in which he said he would “die for my land.”
His initial idea, which he called “hilarious”, was to carry out a terrorist attack at his school in Inverclyde.
He recorded himself walking through the education facility saying he planned to “liquidate” one of the offices.
Hamid Akhtar
The boy later boasted on Telegram about how he would ditch that idea and instead focus on the Greenock Mosque after managing to “infiltrate” the community.
As the massacre plot edged closer, the boy prepared a “final” manifesto stating he would attack “tomorrow” when “the mosque will be at its fullest”.
On the morning in question, the boy left his home with a rucksack and messaged friends, saying: “Today, I choose what my life was and will be.”
The boy appeared at the Islamic Centre but was unable to enter as the door was locked.
The teenager was left alone in this part of the mosque
Swastikas and explosive ingredients recovered
What he did not know was that police had received intelligence and were waiting to arrest him.
Inside his bag, detectives discovered a German-manufactured air pistol – capable of firing BBs – as well as ball bearings, gas cartridges, and four cans of aerosol spray.
Notepads containing swastikas were also recovered before officers later found a copy of Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, knives, and ingredients for explosive substances at his house.
The Inverclyde Islamic Centre told Sky News its community remains tighter than ever.
The street Inverclyde Muslim Centre is on
Adeel Naeen said: “The event is an isolated event, but I look at the community today and you see the number of people that come through the doors, so we are glad that the police were able to stop anything from happening.
“The community is still strong in terms of it’s not putting people off from gathering here.”
The teenager previously pleaded guilty under the Terrorism Act at the High Court in Glasgow.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
Three teenagers have been charged with the murder of a man in Kent.
Kent Police were called to an incident in Leysdown-on-Sea, on the Isle of Sheppey, shortly after 7pm on Sunday.
Alexander Cashford, 49, from Kent, was found dead at the scene, having suffered multiple injuries.
He was allegedly assaulted following a “disturbance involving a small group of people”, according to police.
Police at the scene in the Leysdown-on-Sea resort on the Isle of Sheppey. Pic: PA
A 16-year-old girl and two boys, aged 14 and 15, were arrested and taken into custody shortly after.
The three suspects, who were all from London, were charged with murder by joint venture on Tuesday.
They are due to appear before Medway Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. The teenagers cannot be named for legal reasons.
Police officers carry out searches near the scene where Mr Cashford was found dead. Pic: PA
A 12-year-old girl was arrested on Tuesday in Basildon, Essex, in connection with the incident.
She remains in custody while enquiries continue.
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Kent Police are appealing for witnesses who have not yet spoken to detectives to contact the force.
Marnie’s first serious relationship came when she was 16-years-old.
Warning: This article contains references to strangulation, coercive control and domestic abuse.
She was naturally excited when a former friend became her first boyfriend.
But after a whirlwind few months, everything changed with a slow, determined peeling away of her personality.
“There was isolation, then it was the phone checking,” says Marnie.
As a survivor of abuse, we are not using her real name.
“When I would go out with my friends or do something, I’d get constant phone calls and messages,” she says.
“I wouldn’t be left alone to sort of enjoy my time with my friends. Sometimes he might turn up there, because I just wasn’t trusted to just go and even do something minor like get my nails done.”
The internet is said to be helping to fuel a rise in domestic abuse among teens. Pic: iStock
He eventually stopped her from seeing friends, shouted at her unnecessarily, and accused her of looking at other men when they would go out.
If she ever had any alone time, he would bombard her with calls and texts; she wasn’t allowed to do anything without him knowing where she was.
He monitored her phone constantly.
“Sometimes I didn’t even know someone had messaged me.
“My mum maybe messaged to ask me where I was. He would delete the message and put my phone away, so then I wouldn’t even have a clue my mum had tried to reach me.”
The toll of what Marnie experienced was only realised 10 years later when she sought help for frequent panic attacks.
She struggled to comprehend the damage her abuser had inflicted when she was diagnosed with PTSD.
This is what psychological abuse and coercive control looks like.
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‘His hands were on my throat – he didn’t stop’
Young women and girls in the UK are increasingly falling victim, with incidents of domestic abuse spiralling among under-25s.
Exclusive data shared with Sky News, gathered by domestic abuse charity Refuge, reveals a disturbing rise in incidents between April 2024 and March 2025.
Psychological abuse was the most commonly reported form of harm, affecting 73% of young women and girls.
Of those experiencing this form of manipulation, 49% said their perpetrator had threatened to harm them and a further 35% said their abuser had threatened to kill them.
Among the 62% of 16-25 year olds surveyed who had reported suffering from physical violence, half of them said they had been strangled or suffocated.
Earlier this year, Sky News reported that school children were asking for advice on strangulation, but Kate Lexen, director of services at charity Tender, says children as young as nine are asking about violent pornography and displaying misogynistic behaviour.
Kate Lexen, director of services at charity Tender
“What we’re doing is preventing what those misogynistic behaviours can then escalate onto,” Ms Lexen says.
Tender has been running workshops and lessons on healthy relationships in primary and secondary schools and colleges for over 20 years.
Children as young as nine ‘talking about strangulation’
Speaking to Sky News, Ms Lexen says new topics are being brought up in sessions, which practitioners and teachers are adapting to.
“We’re finding those Year 5 and Year 6 students, so ages 9, 10 and 11, are talking about strangulation, they’re talking about attitudes that they’ve read online and starting to bring in some of those attitudes from some of those misogynistic influencers.
“There are ways that they’re talking about and to their female teachers.
“We’re finding that from talking to teachers as well that they are really struggling to work out how to broach these topics with the students that they are working with and how to make that a really safe space and open space to have those conversations in an age-appropriate way, which can be very challenging.”
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Hidden domestic abuse deaths
Charities like Tender exist to prevent domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Ms Lexen says without tackling misogynistic behaviours “early on with effective prevention education” then the repercussions, as the data for under 25s proves, will be “astronomical”.
At Refuge, it is already evident. Elaha Walizadeh, senior programme manager for children and young people, says the charity has seen a rise in referrals since last year.
Elaha Walizadeh, senior programme manager for children and young people at Refuge
“We have also seen the dynamics of abuse changing,” she adds. “So with psychological abuse being reported, we’ve seen a rise in that and non-fatal strangulation cases, we’ve seen a rise in as well.
“Our frontline workers are telling us that the young people are telling them usually abuse starts from smaller signs. So things like coercive control, where the perpetrators are stopping them from seeing friends and family. It then builds.”
Misogyny to violent behaviour might seem like a leap.
But experts and survivors are testament to the fact that it is happening.
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