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Two Teenagers Arrested in Alleged ‘Southport Copycat’ Plots

The absence of an ideological motive under UK law led prosecutors to rely on document‑possession charges.

Overview

  • A 17-year-old from Cwmbran admitted possessing a document useful for terrorism after police found a phone note titled “places to attack” with a local dance school identified, and he is due to be sentenced in January.
  • The Cwmbran case was adjourned for psychiatric reports over concerns about autism spectrum disorder, which was also documented in the Southport killer’s case.
  • A 16-year-old from Merseyside was charged with possessing documents useful for terrorism and making threats to kill after prosecutors said he researched a Taylor Swift-themed event, travelled to Southport, collected knives, and downloaded the same al‑Qaeda manual.
  • Prosecutors say the Merseyside suspect studied high‑school shootings and incel content and considered targeting his former school, with pleas due to be entered next month.
  • The Southport inquiry finished its first phase by highlighting missed safeguards such as guidance for out‑of‑school clubs, as debate continues over Prevent’s rising ‘no ideology’ referrals and calls to close a legislative gap identified by the terrorism laws’ independent reviewer.