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English teenager plotted to bomb former college and massacre ex-classmates

Liam Lyburd was arrested with a ‘kill bag’ full of bombs and ammunition.

Liam Lyburd court case Liam Lyburd arriving in court last November. PA WIRE PA WIRE

A 19-YEAR-OLD hacker and former student has been convicted of plotting a large-scale massacre at the further education college from which he had been expelled.

Liam Lyburd, from Newcastle, was today found guilty of possessing weapons with intent to endanger life.

Last November, police were tipped off about a series of disturbing and alarming messages on Lyburd’s Facebook page.

After arriving at his mother’s home on 3 November 2014, officers discovered a ‘kill bag’ full of home-made explosives, pipe bombs, CS gas, hollow-point bullets, and a Glock handgun.

Liam Lyburd court case PA WIRE PA WIRE

Liam Lyburd court case PA WIRE PA WIRE

Later, a computer analyst was able to recover a note deleted from his computer, indicating he had planned to carry out the mass murder that day, ITV reports:

You people ruined my whole life, don’t expect me to show mercy today. No one disrespects me and gets away with it.
I’ll teach you people a little lesson on respect with my 9mm jacketed hollow points. Fantasy will become reality today for sure.
It’s time for extreme civil disobedience and yes, people will die, there’s no question about that.

Investigators also uncovered webcam photos of him posing with a Glock handgun.

Liam Lyburd court case PA WIRE PA WIRE

In the autumn of 2012, the Guardian reports, he had been expelled from Newcastle College, a higher education and training institution.

He spent the next two years plotting to massacre students and staff there, and Newcastle Crown Court heard he had told police his arrest had “saved many lives”.

Lyburd was unemployed, but made money by extorting Bitcoins from internet users whose computers he had infected with viruses.

He ordered the weapons from illicit marketplaces on the dark web, after he had become increasingly isolated and reclusive.

Liam Lyburd court case PA WIRE PA WIRE

According to local newspaper the Evening Chronicle, Lyburd frequented online forums, where he praised American school shooters, Norwegian mass murderer Anders Brevik, and told one acquaintance:

I’m going to die along with my friends in school. It’s so sad my life. I’m going to kill my mum and the kids in my school – it’s going to be amazing.

In one disturbing Facebook post two weeks before his arrest, Lyburd wrote:

I need to engage in homicidal behaviour on a massive scale.

The former student even sent a tweet to Newcastle College on the morning of 3 November, making sure the school would be open that day, because there was construction in progress at the time.

However, Lyburd and his lawyers had claimed during the trial that he was merely a fantasist who, despite purchasing bombs and other weapons, had no true intention of carrying out a massacre.

The jury rejected this claim today, however, and the 19-year-old is due to be sentenced in September, after the judge receives a psychiatric report.

BBC News reports that on hearing the verdict, Lyburd pointed his fingers at his own head, making the shape of a gun.

Read: Police release Sandy Hook shooting documents and evidence photos>

Read: How this teen jailed for a Columbine-esque plot used art to turn his life around>

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37 Comments
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    Mute David Duignan
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    Jul 30th 2015, 9:24 PM

    Well done to the police who prevented a massacre

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    Mute Richard Cheney
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    Jul 30th 2015, 9:47 PM

    Beautiful observation David, straight from the heart.

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    Mute cholly appleseed
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    Jul 30th 2015, 10:10 PM

    pat o dwyer will be on here shortly saying that the UK and USA spend too much on anti terrorist plots. how can one put a price on the lives saved

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    Mute Suzie Sunsine
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:21 AM

    pat o Dwyer aka frank ?

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    Mute hit shappens
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:46 AM

    whatever happened to Frank and glen?

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    Mute Suzie Sunsine
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    Jul 31st 2015, 1:19 AM

    I think frank is now pat o dywer and glen is now glenard !

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    Mute Veronika Hladová
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    Jul 31st 2015, 8:32 AM

    Hardly a ‘kill bag’ more like a ‘massacre bag’

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    Mute Patrick O' Brien
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    Jul 30th 2015, 9:40 PM

    He is a total basket case, he was probably seeking attention, but for the action of the Police, he may well have had an audience, sadly a dead one…

    He will get all the attention he richly deserves, in Prison, for many many years…

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    Mute BannerBoyDesmond
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    Jul 30th 2015, 11:54 PM

    After arriving at his mother’s home on 3 November 2014, officers discovered a ‘kill bag’ full of home-made explosives, pipe bombs, CS gas, hollow-point bullets, and a Glock handgun.

    And a pistol with a string to tie it to his wrist? And wearing a ballaclava when posting for pictures?

    This NUTTER meant business!!

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    Mute BannerBoyDesmond
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:23 AM

    Hollow point bullets fracture upon impact on the human body. Meaning they shatter and send fragments of the bullet through several parts of he body, for maximum damage.

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    Mute Rónán Ó Dufaigh
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    Jul 30th 2015, 9:29 PM

    Wasn’t a great hacker if he was daft enough to tweet the school, not properly dispose of the note and have active statuses about the homicide he was going to commit…

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    Mute Ethan Lennon
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    Jul 30th 2015, 9:20 PM

    Nothing to see here, he’s not Muslim.

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    Mute Maire Ui Riain
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    Jul 30th 2015, 9:45 PM

    Another nut job…..

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jul 30th 2015, 10:11 PM

    What an oddball. Probably needs psychiatric help, behind bars.

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Jul 30th 2015, 11:02 PM

    Jamie, I’m surprised you don’t blame the CIA on this.

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jul 30th 2015, 11:48 PM

    Why would I blame them Declan? This is clearly a young headbanger. Glad he was caught before he used his bag of tricks.

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jul 30th 2015, 11:54 PM

    Why don’t you post under your real name anymore, is it because you got banned or because you got scared?

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:01 AM

    Jamie, because you blame the Americans on everything.
    I suspect Frank McCarthy had me banned. You should ask glen as he seemed to know all about it.

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    Mute Suzie Sunsine
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:24 AM

    actually glen/glenard is always bringing that up .

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:38 AM

    ffs Decko I’m not them, I didn’t get you banned but banned you got. You are always stalking lads, sniping I’d call it. And you can’t even do it under your own name. Well done you.

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:02 AM

    Suzie, I’m glad you see that glen and glenard ore one and the same. Although glenard denies it.

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:03 AM

    Jamie, I did post under my own name and profile pic. Unlike glen and co. I have asked the journal why I got banned but I’ve gotten no answer. So I only have my Twitter account.

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:45 AM

    Maybe you got banned for stalking lads and talking shite. You just accused me of always blaming America for everything. Anyhow twitter away dublinlad.

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:54 AM

    Eh no jamie, I called others out for talking s* ite. Frank, glen and Horgay were the worst offenders.

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    Mute Richard Cheney
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    Jul 30th 2015, 9:48 PM

    Ah, the religion of….oh.

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    Mute niall mullins
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    Jul 30th 2015, 10:01 PM

    Who is this “oh” you speak of? Would one, perchance, be persecuted for taking their name in vain. Oh jesus, springs to mind. I’m sure that anybody that tries to start a cult these days would be shut down and tried as insane. I, for one, welcome our new Ohverlord.

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    Mute Richard Cheney
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    Jul 30th 2015, 10:04 PM

    You can type it, write it, paint it, think it, but never utter it aloud, that is truly blasphemous and will earn you an eternity in the 7th Circle of Oh.

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    Mute Middle Class Cork
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    Jul 30th 2015, 10:32 PM

    All hail oh…

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    Mute niall mullins
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    Jul 30th 2015, 11:50 PM

    Oh!

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    Mute keith Ryan
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    Jul 30th 2015, 9:57 PM

    It wasn’t so much well done to the police.He announced on facebook for all to see that he was going to do it.The police did what you would expect them to do

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    Mute Evert Bopp
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    Jul 30th 2015, 10:33 PM

    But the UK has extremely strict firearms legislation?!
    How could this happen?

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    Mute Richard Cheney
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    Jul 30th 2015, 11:50 PM
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    Mute Suzie Sunsine
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    Jul 31st 2015, 1:30 AM

    you’ve too much time on your hands

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Jul 30th 2015, 11:09 PM

    Tiny penis syndrome.

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    Mute Rust Cohle
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:42 AM

    Ahhh now that’s not sound at all

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    Mute James O Carroll
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    Jul 31st 2015, 1:19 PM

    just by the look of his face alone, he doesn’t look healthy at all. just another crazy teen that will be diagnosed with “autism” when its clearly something more severe than that

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    Mute James Onedin
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    Jul 31st 2015, 8:52 AM

    Those magazines look a tad long for that pistol, or are they increased capacity magazines?
    Hopefully, he’ll go to jail for a very,very long time AND get the help he clearly needs.

    1
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