The jury has been sent out to consider verdicts in the trial of a 16-year-old boy accused of planning a terror attack on local synagogues.

Counter terror police found what Leeds Crown Court heard was an “arsenal” of weapons, including a crossbow and knives, when they raided the teenager’s home in Northumberland last February.

The defendant, who cannot be identified due to his age, denies preparing acts of terrorism, being a member of a proscribed organisation – a neo-Nazi group called The Base – as well as possessing and publishing terror documents.

The jury has seen images of his bedroom, including a replica of an SS officer’s cap, a flag of Rhodesia and a skeleton in a mask.

They have also been shown online messages with members of white supremacist groups and violent journal entries.

The jury has heard how the youth watched a video of the New Zealand mosque terror attack then looked up synagogues in the Newcastle area.

Michelle Heeley KC, prosecuting, has previously told the jury: “He communicated with others about his desire for action and he had carried out numerous preparatory steps towards carrying out those threats.”

Frida Hussain KC, defending, said the boy was “desperately lonely” and had been “plagued” with thoughts of killing himself and created an online persona as a distraction.

During the trial, Miss Hussain asked him: “Writing in these terms about harming other people, was this anything you wanted to do in reality?”

The defendant replied: “Just thoughts in my head. I never intended to harm anyone.”

Mr Justice Wall sent the jury out to consider their verdicts on Monday morning.

An alleged neo-Nazi youth accused of planning a terrorist attack on synagogues faces a trial next year.

The 15-year-old boy, from Northumberland, is charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for committing acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

It is alleged he began to discuss planning a terrorist attack with an unidentified individual earlier this year.

He acquired equipment and weapons including a crossbow that were purchased online in 2024 and had downloaded extremist manuals, it is claimed.

Among items allegedly found at his home were nails tied together with duct tape, a life-size skeleton covered in body armour, and Nazi memorabilia.

The boy is also charged with one count of membership of a proscribed organisation, contrary to Section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The Base, an extreme right-wing white supremacist group, was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the Home Office in July 2021.

The teenager was arrested as part of a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation on Thursday February 20.

On Friday, he appeared at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing before Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.

He spoke to confirm his identity by video-link from HMP Wetherby in West Yorkshire.

Prosecutor Birgitte Hagem told the court the charges relate to alleged plans to attack local synagogues and a phone mast.

A provisional trial was set for January 13 at Leeds Crown Court, with a plea hearing on July 18 this year at the Old Bailey.

The defendant, who cannot be identified because of his age, was remanded back into custody.

Australia intends to add far-right extremist group The Base and the entirety of the Lebanese group Hezbollah to its list of outlawed terrorist organisations.

Hezbollah’s External Security Organisation has been listed since 2003, but including all Hezbollah entities as terrorist organisations would make being a member of, or supporting, those entities a criminal offense.

“The group continues to threaten terrorist attacks and provides support to terrorist organisations,” Home Affairs minister Karen Andrews said in a statement.

The Base, which originated in the United States, would become only the second far-right group to be designated a terrorist organisation in Australia after the British-based Sonnenkrieg Division was listed in August.

The remaining 25 terrorist organisations on Australia’s list are Muslim groups.

“The Base is a violent, racist, neo-Nazi group known by security agencies to be planning and preparing terrorist attacks,” Mrs Andrews said.

“The Base is currently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom and is known to have organised paramilitary training camps overseas,” she added.