Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Douglas Barrie

Scot found guilty under Terrorism Act jailed for 10 years after being caught with crossbow and machete haul

A man found guilty under the Terrorism Act of possessing weapons including a crossbow and machete has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Gabrielle Friel was found guilty of possessing the weapons at various locations in Edinburgh last summer including his home, a social work centre and a hospital in circumstances giving rise to the reasonable suspicion that possessing them was for a purpose connected with terrorism.

One of the knifes found in Gabrielle Friel's Edinburgh flat (Crown Office)
Friel had amassed a collection of weapons, including a crossbow. (Crown Office)

The 22-year-old appeared via video link at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday where Judge Lord Beckett imposed the sentence with a five years extension subject to licence.

Police found 15 crossbow arrows with the haul of weapons (Crown Office)

Friel was found guilty of possessing a crossbow, scope, crossbow arrows, a machete and a ballistic vest between June 1 and August 16 2019.

A second charge that he prepared for terrorist acts by researching spree killings, particularly those connected with incels - people who are involuntarily celibate - was found not proven after a five-day trial at the court in December.

Friel denied both charges and gave evidence in his own defence during the case, saying mass shooting was a "fantasy" for him and he "felt for" incel mass murderer Elliot Rodger, but denied being an incel and described killers as "evil".

He had told a doctor he wanted to "carry out a mass shooting" and his social worker reported he appeared to "almost idolise" Rodger.

A scope found in Friel's flat. (Crown Office)

Friel claimed he also wanted to commit "suicide by cop" when he stabbed a police officer at Edinburgh College's Granton campus in November 2017.

He said fears he would fail a test had triggered negative thoughts of being bullied at high school in Singapore and previous attempts to take his own life, which led to further attempts before the college incident.

The court heard Friel was sentenced to 300 hours of community service after pleading guilty at a hearing in June 2018 to the stabbing, which endangered the officer's life.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.