UK Teenager Who Plotted Terrorist Attack at Justin Bieber Concert Gets Jail Time
Lloyd Gunton wrote a “martyrdom letter” ahead of the planned attack in Cardiff
Reid Nakamura | March 2, 2018 @ 1:55 PM
Last Updated: March 2, 2018 @ 2:07 PM
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A 17-year-old whose planned terrorist attack at a Justin Bieber concert in the U.K. was thwarted by police has been given at least 11 years behind bars.
According to the BBC, Lloyd Gunton was detained by police the day of the attack after several threatening social media posts raised flags.
Police said he researched security at the Cardiff concert, as well as the details of a truck-ramming attack. A hammer and boning knife were recovered from his home, as well as a “martyrdom letter” claiming affiliation with the Islamic State.
His internet search history included such phrases as “Isis beheading video,” “how to create a terror attack” and “what does getting shot feel like.”
“At the time of your arrest you were within hours of committing an act of atrocity on the streets of Cardiff. It is not possible to estimate how many people would have been murdered or seriously injured by your actions as the attack was foiled before you could undertake it,” the judge in the case said, giving Gunton a life sentence with 11 years behind bars before he is eligible for parole.
“I am sure that you planned not just the killing of one person but rather mass murder,” said the judge, who noted that Gunton has been diagnosed with autism. “It is important that, having been tempted to commit a serious offense such as this, you are under some form of supervision for the rest of your life.”
Gunton’s arrest ahead of the planned attack at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff came one month after the deadly bombing at an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena.
9 Stars Who Have Been 9/11 Conspiracy Truthers (Photos)
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 were carried out by al-Qaeda terrorists who hijacked passenger jets. That's the official version endorsed by the U.S. government and the international community, anyway. But a number of celebrities have resisted backing the official story.
Woody Harrelson
The former "Cheers" star is part of a group that calls itself Actors and Artists for 9/11 Truth. This group has claimed that the official 9/11 Commission failed to investigate fully the attacks and that the government has offered untrue or misleading information.
Marion Cotillard
"We're lied to about a number of things," the French star said of 9/11. (She later expressed regret for her remarks.)
Charlie Sheen
Mr. Tiger Blood has called the government's account of the hijacked planes "really suspicious" and has claimed that Washington was behind the attacks.
Willie Nelson
The country crooner and noted weed lover is another member of the celebrity 9/11 group.
Mark Ruffalo
The versatile actor says he's done his own research on 9/11. "Buildings don't fall down like that," he concluded.
Matthew Bellamy
The Muse frontman long said that 9/11 was an "inside job," but he now says his view is more "nuanced."
Rosie O'Donnell
"I do believe it's the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel," "The View" co-host said of the World Trade Center collapse. That was later rebutted by Popular Mechanics, among others.
Graham Nash
The '60s rock icon was another celebrity who joined the 9/11 truther group.
Ed Asner
The former "Lou Grant" star and voice of the old man in "Up" said the government needs to level with people about the terrorist attacks.
Some VIPs in the entertainment industry aren’t buying the official version of the 2001 terrorist attacks
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 were carried out by al-Qaeda terrorists who hijacked passenger jets. That's the official version endorsed by the U.S. government and the international community, anyway. But a number of celebrities have resisted backing the official story.
