Two anti-vax conspiracy theorists dubbed “Bonnie and Clyde with a box of matches” inspired assaults on MPs and sought to destroy 5G telephone masts, a court docket has heard.
Christine Grayson, 59, collected crossbows and Darren Reynolds, 60, sought to re-activate duplicate assault rifles as they talked of killing MPs and praised the assaults on Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, the court docket was instructed.
The pair subscribed to an ideology which concerned “anti-authoritarian views and conspiracy theories,” prosecutor Tom Storey stated.
They believed 5G telephone masts had been designed for use as a “weapon” in opposition to members of the general public and had been linked to the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine, the prosecutor instructed Leeds Crown Court.
In June 2021, Grayson allegedly instructed one other Telegram person that she had some pals coming to remain and puzzled whether or not “we can maybe get rid of the 5G towers come up with summit together, keep it between ourselves, we can cause some f**kery”.
She described one of many pals as doing “all-sorts for the resistance” and went on to debate varied means by which 5G masts may very well be destroyed, it’s claimed.
The court docket heard that in May final yr, the pair had a Telegram dialog wherein Reynolds stated that they may very well be “the first male female arson team”, and Grayson responded: “Bonny and Clyde [sic] with a box of matches” including later: “Think we need a group for fire balling 5G.”
Their anti-authoritarian views had been expressed in “extreme terms” and concerned discussions about potential armed uprisings and assaults on members of parliament or the police, jurors heard.
On events they known as for members of parliament to be hanged for what they termed “treasonous behaviour,” linked to their anti-vaccine philosophy, Mr Storey instructed the court docket.
Jurors had been instructed that on 30 September, in a dialog with one other Telegram person, Reynolds stated: “We need to destroy the Jews once and for all. Total annihilation, no trials, no prisoners.”
The subsequent day, he allegedly described parliament as “a nest of Jews, foreigners and collaborators”, including: “all must hang!!”.
Reynolds additionally stated the roll-out of the COVID vaccine amounted to treason and genocide and “the penalty for treason is death by hanging”, the court docket heard.
He described Sir David Amess as a “traitor” on the day of his killing and supported Thomas Mair’s “execution” of Jo Cox due to her alleged treason, jurors had been instructed.
Defendants ‘present in possession of weapons’
On June 28, Grayson allegedly despatched a textual content message to a different person which learn: “Mark says parliament is to [sic] heavily guarded, we won’t get near it, best way to do it is local cop shops, get them bit at a time. Going after the mps, then cops. Mps are in local offices.”
Mr Storey instructed Leeds Crown Court: “It is clear from their discussions that their publicly expressed views crossed the line from merely voicing strongly held political or societal opinions, to overtly advocating the use of violence towards those whom they regarded as traitors, and in particular, members of parliament.”
The pair talked of the necessity to arm themselves and to have interaction in a struggle in opposition to “the enemy”, and each had been discovered to be in possession of weapons when their residence addresses had been searched on 22 August final yr, jurors heard.
Police discovered Grayson, from York, had a crossbow and a variety of crossbow bolts and Reynolds, from Sheffield, had two duplicate assault rifles, the court docket was instructed.
Jurors heard he had requested a gunsmith on-line what would should be accomplished to reactivate such firearms and instructed one other Telegram person that he had used the COVID lockdown to learn to convert firearms, guerrilla techniques, and what he known as “counter-measures.”
The pair deny encouraging terrorism and conspiracy to trigger prison injury to 5G masts between May 13 and June 20 final yr.
Reynolds can also be charged with three counts of disseminating terrorist publications and 6 counts of possessing data helpful for terrorism.
The case continues.
Source: information.sky.com”