At Inner London Crown Court on Monday, Sakhile Ntsele, 18, 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.
The teenager, of Wandsworth Road, south-west London, also denied five counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Ntsele, who is autistic, admitted five counts of possessing a firearm without a certificate and one of possessing ammunition without a certificate.
One device he allegedly made was a Cheeselets biscuits tub containing “rocket candy” explosive, another was a jam jar filled with an “explosive mix” of potassium nitrate, sugar, shrapnel, nuts and screws, prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC said.
He also had “improvised battery-powered… electric-ignition muzzle-loading” firearms, including one that was four-barrelled, one double-barreled and two that were single-barreled.
Police found the items in his house following a fight with his twin brother on October 27 2024, when he was 17 years old.
Ntsele expressed admiration for dictators such as Stalin and Hitler and school records show he threatened violence against pupils he disliked, Mr Atkinson said.
The defendant, who wore a grey T-shirt and blue jeans in the dock, had also “demonstrated hostility to LGBTQ students and voiced the opinion they should be euthanised”, the court heard.
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”.
The prosecutor 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.”
At 12 years old Ntsele joined Nightingale Community Academy, 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 safeguarding concern was raised in March 2021 after Ntsele said he wanted to burn it down with people inside, the court heard.
It was flagged by his teacher Amanda Murphy, and jurors heard she had also described him as “smart, charming and not overly aggressive”.
During a geography lesson in May that year he made a model of the Twin Towers about to be struck by a plane, the court was told.
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 Ms 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.
The defendant was reported missing on December 31 2021, when he was 14 years old, and police uncovered 50 rounds of shotgun ammunition when they searched his bedroom, jurors were told.
Five of the cartridges had been adapted, some with nail and screws inserted, the court heard.
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 Mr Atkinson, 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”.
C4 referred to a type of explosive, jurors were told.
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.
Police were called to the defendant’s home in response to a fight between him and his twin brother, Sandhile, on October 27 2024.
Their grandmother and aunt also lived at the property and their mother did not, the court heard.
A court order was in place for the boys to live with their grandmother and jurors heard she has described their mother as “not responsible”.
During the fight, Ntsele allegedly 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.
Sandhile claimed Ntsele “had made the edge pointy and sharp”, jurors heard.
Officers searched his room and found the explosive substances he allegedly made, as well as the firearms.
The explosives and firearms charges all relate to on or before October 27 last year and the ammunition charge is on December 31 2021.
The trial continues.
