Homophobic neo-Nazi terrorist who planned massacre at gay pride event detained indefinitely at psychiatric hospital
Ethan Stables, 20, was arrested by armed police in Barrow, Cumbria after he bragged of planning to “slaughter every single one of the gay b******s”
Stables had taken videos of him trying to light a Rainbow flag, associated with gay pride, on fire (Image: GMP)
A homophobic neo-Nazi terrorist has been detained indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital after plotting an axe and machete attack on a pub’s gay pride night.
Armed police swooped on 20-year-old Ethan Stables as he walked towards the New Empire in his hometown of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, last summer.
Officers had received a tip-off after white supremacist Stables posted a Facebook message saying he was “going to war” and that he planned to “slaughter every single one of the gay b******s”.
He also filmed a video of himself setting fire to a gay pride flag, and posing next to a swastika.
Although he was unarmed when he was arrested on June 23, police found an axe, a machete and knives at his home, his trial heard.
The right-wing extremist had a swastika hanging on his bedroom wall and bought a new Nazi armband after his was taken by police when he was arrested.
Stables, who told a court he was bisexual, had Googled “how to make chemical poison”, “what is prison like for a murderer”, “I want to go on a killing spree” and, bizarrely, “do you get haircuts in prison”.
Officers discovered that, as well as researching firearms, he had also looked into methods for making a bomb.
Stables was found guilty in February at Leeds Crown Court of preparing an act of terrorism and making threats to kill.
Jurors heard he communicated his hatred for Muslims and Jews, with one WhatsApp message reading: “My country is being raped.
“I might just become a skinhead and kill people.”
He had admitted a number of other offences before the start of his trial.
The jury was shown a video of him burning a rainbow flag and posing next to a swastika hanging on his bedroom wall.
He had espoused homophobic, racist and Nazi views online, the court was told.
Giving evidence, Stables, who has been diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, claimed he was a just fantasist and was himself bisexual.
There was also a selection of weapons Stables may have used in the planned massacre (Image: SWNS.com)
Following his conviction, his barrister Patrick Upward QC told the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC, that Stables led a “melancholy life” up to the day of his arrest and lived in “almost squalid conditions”.
Mr Upward said: “He bears no comparison with the men who attacked Corporal (Lee) Rigby, no comparison with the men who went on the rampage at Borough Market and no comparison with the man who ran people over on Westminster Bridge and stabbed a police officer.
“Whatever he was doing that night, he did not have a fuse to set it off. He did not have the wherewithal to make the fuse.”
Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford told the judge that Stables had intended to attack multiple persons and had looked at a number of ways of doing it.
Stables told the court he is bisexual and has an autism spectrum condition.
He denied he was doing a “recce” of the venue when he was arrested and said he was heading out to sit outside the jobcentre to use the free public WiFi.
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