Man boasted about making pipebomb after downloading terror documents, court told

A 21-year-old boasted about making a pipebomb after downloading terrorist documents, a court has heard.

Ashton Rees, from Bangor, north Wales, “experimented” with making devices, some of which have never been recovered after he buried them in woodland, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

He was found guilty after a trial of four counts of possessing a record of information useful to terrorism after documents were found on his phone, including the Anarchists’ Cookbook and items which contained instructions to make homemade firearms and explosives using DIY skills.

He had shared some of the documents with others, including one on online forum Reddit, the court was told.

Rupert Jones, prosecuting, said in a message found on his phone the defendant was “boasting” to others about making a pipebomb.

But, he said the account of it exploding in his hands as described was “perhaps rather far-fetched”.

He said two basic devices were recovered from the defendant’s home.

Judge Brian Cummings KC said: “He certainly experimented with making devices. Is it established that he actually succeeded in making anything that in law would be a firearm?”

Mr Jones said: “We simply don’t know because some of the weapons have never been recovered.”

Photos of Rees wearing a skull mask, which the court heard he knew was associated with the far-right, and paramilitary-style clothing were also discovered on his phone, as well as a picture of him wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Natural Selection”, like one worn by one of the perpetrators of the Columbine school shooting in 1999.

When his university room was searched in February 2024 officers found knives and skull masks.

A calendar with an entry saying “kill” found in the room was described by David Birrell, defending Rees, as a “bad joke”.

The court heard there was also evidence of a friendship between Rees and Aristedes Haynes, a former RAF cadet from South Wales who was convicted in 2023 after daubing a Windrush mural with Nazi symbols.

Mr Birrell said Rees, who was supported in court by his wife and parents, was a “young man of positive good character”.

He said the defendant, who had a diagnosis of autism, had “possibly an obsessive interest” in making things.

He added: “He made those devices at home and used them or tested them while alone in remote woodland where there was no risk to other people.”

Mr Birrell said there was no evidence the defendant held extremist views.

The sentencing was adjourned until Wednesday.