A teenager who joked about attacking his classmates with homemade guns has been convicted of possession of a firearm and producing explosives.
Sakhile Ntsele, 18, spent years making a collection of weapons in his bedroom, his trial heard.
Police only discovered his armoury after he attacked a family member with a sword he had made from a metal bar in October 2024.
A search of his room uncovered seven improvised explosive devices and five firearms with ammunition.
A shocking internet search history showed he spent hundreds of hours watching videos on how to make shotgun shells at home and build homemade weapons.
He came to the attention of police and other authorities at the age of 14 in 2021 when he was arrested while in possession of 55 rounds of ammunition, some of which he had tried to adapt by inserting nails, the Met said.
This case was discontinued in March 2023, but the charges were added to the 2024 investigation.
Today, a jury at Inner London Crown Court found him guilty of eight counts of making explosive substances for unlawful purposes, the force said.
He was cleared on all other counts.
Last month, he admitted possession of ammunition without a certificate in 2021 and five counts of possession of a firearm without a certificate.
The teenager, of Wandsworth, south-west London, will be sentenced in February next year.
Detective Inspector Raymond Sekalongo, who led the investigation, said: ‘This was a complex case involving a young man who was completely obsessed with weapons and firearms.
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‘His obsession continued to grow alongside a self-taught expertise in crafting weapons, and our investigation found he was watching videos about weapons almost on a daily basis.
‘Ntsele manipulated everyone around him so that his actions wouldn’t be detected and his family were unaware of the disturbing material Ntsele was viewing.
‘We cannot speculate what Ntsele was capable of; however, the work of our investigation team has ensured that he will not be able to cause harm to anyone.
‘This case has highlighted the accessibility of dangerous material available to young people online.
‘We would encourage all parents to be conscious of what their child is accessing online, to prevent them from entering into a dangerous space where they could be influenced into criminality.’
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