A young man has gone on trial accused of plotting a terrorist attack on a Fife mosque.
Sam Imrie denies preparing for an atrocity at the Fife Islamic Centre in his home town of Glenrothes.
The 24-year-old is accused of publishing statements, images and video footage on social media platforms Facebook and Telegram that glorified terrorist acts committed by, amongst others, Anders Breivik and Brenton Tarrant.
It is alleged he made offensive comments about Muslim and Jewish communities, made racial remarks and encouraged acts of violence, and uttered threats.
Imrie is further accused of posting statements on Telegram, which indicated he intended to livestream footage of an incident and that he was going to carry out an attack on the Fife Islamic Centre in Glenrothes.
Fireraising allegations
Prosecutors claim he uploaded footage and photos of the Poplar Road mosque, while driving a Ford Fiesta between the centre and derelict Strathore Lodge in Thornton.
It is alleged Imrie made recordings on his mobile and uploaded them to Telegram.
He is accused of setting fire to part of the Strathore Lodge and putting the footage on social media, pretending it was an Islamic Centre.
The indictment against Imrie states he intended this to be “a direct or indirect encouragement or other inducement to the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.”
The Crown intends to prove during the trial the allegations, dating from June 22 and July 4, 2019, were racially aggravated.
Preparation of terrorism act charges
Imrie further faces allegations that he engaged in preparation, with the intention of committing, acts of terrorism.
It is alleged Imrie:
- Created and had in his possession a quantity of nazi, neo-nazi and anti-Muslim, anti-Semetic and other racist or violent images, texts and audio files and a quantity of images which glorified terrorism;
- Had in his possession copies of The Great Replacement by Brenton Tarrant, and 2083: A European Declaration of Independence by Anders Breivik, as well as documents on how to make knives;
- Researched online the purchase of a camera, a hidden camera and a jerry can;
- Recorded and compiled details of terrorist attacks on places of worship;
- Acquired a quantity of knives and bladed articles, nunchucks, a hammer, a baseball bat, a rifle scope and a quantity of petrol, which were referred to and by him as his “arsenal” and took photos of a petrol can sitting beside a quantity of those items;
- Posted statements on Telegram indicating he intended to stream live footage of an incident and posted statements indicating he was going to carry out an attack on the Fife Islamic Centre;
- Attended at the centre in a Ford Fiesta, in possession of a petrol can, carried out observations and made recordings on his phone of the centre and surrounding area;
- Repeatedly attempted to gain access to the centre and upload photos and videos of the building to Telegram.
It is also alleged Imrie collected or made a record of information “of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism”.
The charge refers to manifestos by Breivik and Tarrant.
Imrie is also accused of wilfully setting fire to a doorway and entrance hall at Strathore Lodge and a headstone at St Drostan’s Cemetery, Markinch.
Child abuse allegations
It is further alleged that between June 15 and July 5, 2019, at his home in Colliston Avenue, Glenrothes, he had indecent photographs of children.
He is also accused of having extreme pornography, including an image involving a human corpse.
He faces a final charge of driving while unfit through drink or drugs on July 4, 2019.
Imrie, listed as a prisoner at HMP Perth, denies all nine charges.
The trial, before Lord Mulholland, at the High Court in Edinburgh, got under way on Friday morning.
