He denies a number of charges and his trial continues at Inner London Crown Court
A teenager who reportedly ‘admired’ Stalin and Hitler and allegedly said ‘all homeless people should be killed’ is suspected of threatening to blow up his school with makeshift explosives after a spat with his brother, a court has heard. Sakhile Ntsele, 18, from Wandsworth Road, Lambeth, has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of making an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, seriously injury property or enable another to do so, as well as eight counts of making an explosive substance, at Inner London Crown Court yesterday (Monday, November 24).
Ntsele, who is autistic, also denied five counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. He had allegedly “demonstrated hostility to LGBTQ students and voiced the opinion they should be euthanised”, the court heard. One of his alleged homemade devices was a Cheeselets biscuits tub packed with “rocket candy” explosives, another was a jam jar filled with an “explosive mix” of potassium nitrate, sugar, shrapnel, nuts and screws, prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC said.
Ntsele allegedly also had “improvised battery-powered… electric-ignition muzzle-loading” guns, including one that had four barrels, one double-barrelled, and two that were single-barrelled. The jury was told police unearthed the stash in his home after he had a fight with his twin brother on October 27 last year, when he was 17.
School records showed he threatened violence against pupils he disliked, Mr Atkinson said. Mr Atkinson told jurors they will likely have to decide “not whether the defendant made a series of viable firearms and explosive devices, but why”.
He added: “As presently understood, his case is that he was driven by his undoubted autistic condition to make these items for the fun of it. The prosecution case is that his motives were a good deal more sinister and that he made these items with intent that they be used as what they are, as weapons – and thus as items intended to endanger the lives of others.”
Ntsele joined Nightingale Community Academy aged 12, a specialist school for students with social, emotional or mental health difficulties. “He did not think he belonged in such a specialist school, and it remained his view throughout his time there”, the prosecution said.
A teacher flagged a safeguarding concern in March 2021 after Ntsele said he wanted to burn it down with people inside, the court heard. It was flagged by Amanda Murphy, but jurors heard she had also described him as “smart, charming and not overly aggressive”.
Ntsele also allegedly made a model of the Twin Towers about to be struck by a plane in May 2021, during a geography lesson.
The court heard he also said “all homeless people should be killed” and attempted to reason it by “saying that there were too many people in the world so the homeless and others should be killed off and only the engineers and those of super-intelligence should be left alive”, according to Amanda Murphy’s report.
A Prevent referral was considered following his comments, the document said. Ms Murphy and the school’s designated safeguarding lead, Paula Thomas, both claimed Ntsele presented the comments in a serious way even if he would eventually say it was a joke.
However he was reported missing in December 2021, aged 14, with cops unearthing 50 shotgun shells during a search of his bedroom, the court heard. Five of the cartridges had been adapted, some with nail and screws inserted, jurors were told.
He was arrested in January 2022 and on Monday he pleaded guilty to one count of possessing ammunition without a firearm certificate in relation to the offence. Jurors were told that in September 2022 the school’s assistant principal emailed staff reporting that Ntsele said he wanted to blow up the Houses of Parliament “with a bag and a timer”.
“He said he would like to be a Guy Fawkes and blow it up successfully”, the prosecution alleged. A month later, according to the prosecution, a safeguarding report stated the defendant had said: “There will be no peace at Nightingale, I’m going to blow up the school with my C4 [a type of explosive].”
The member of staff who made the report claimed that when Ntsele “made the threat to blow up the school he did not appear upset or irritated, as he said it without emotion”, Mr Atkinson said. It was reported by a staffmember who claimed the suspect “made the threat to blow up the school he did not appear upset or irritated, as he said it without emotion.”
Ntsele is claimed to have threatened his brother with a homemade sword and jurors were shown an image of a thin metal bar with black duct tape as a handle. The twins were living with their grandmother as their mum was considered ‘not responsible’.
The trial continues.
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