A HOME grown neo-Nazi would-be terrorist was last night beginning a minimum 12 year sentence in jail for planning to make a bomb in his Edinburgh home.

Peter Morgan, 35, had earlier been convicted of two charges under the Terrorism Act and one charge under the Explosive Substances Act 1883.

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Police searched Morgan’s home in the capital’s Taylor Place and found explosive substances, propellants, fireworks and a bottle with ball bearings and nail-gun cartridges attached, as well as a collection of neo-Nazi, racist and Islamophobic literature compiled over a five-year period.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Boyd of Duncansby imposed an extended sentence of 15 years on Morgan after the accused was found guilty at an earlier trial of preparing acts of terrorism.

Lord Boyd fixed the custodial period at 12 years, which will be followed by an extension period of three years on licence when he will be supervised.

Sentencing Morgan, Lord Boyd said: “These charges threaten the safety of the public, our values as a democracy and strike at the dignity and respect which all members of our community are entitled to expect whatever their race or religion.”

He added: “Over a period of five years you amassed a collection of neo-Nazi, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic and racist material.

“You downloaded documents from the internet including guides relating to the operation of explosive devices and the manufacture of explosive substances.

“Of most concern is that you not only possessed the ingredients for the making of an improvised explosive device but you had begun to assemble it. You took a vinegar bottle and fixed to the outside of it approximately 80 ball bearings and metal propellant cartridges. It is clear that your intention was to increase the lethal nature of the device.

“The bomb disposal expert described the injuries that might be sustained if one was exploded within three to five metres of a person as ‘horrific’.

“The jury clearly rejected your explanation that you merely intended to blow up a turkey and film it for Youtube.

“You have a long record mostly for crimes of dishonesty and offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act, but I accept that you have largely stayed out of trouble since 2010.

“This is the first conviction for any offence which might infer violence, let alone terrorism. I take all these matters into account.”

Morgan’s trial had heard of his membership of the far right Scottish Defence League with whom he had attended a “White Pride” rally in Manchester in 2015 when he was photographed carrying a saltire flag and holding a “white pride worldwide” poster.

The trial had heard that an Army bomb disposal expert called to Morgan’s flat in Edinburgh said a “quite effective, viable” improvised explosive device (IED) could be made from the items discovered. Sergeant Liam Davies told the court: “I believe that this is a bomb in construction or waiting to be constructed.”

Davies also told the court that the completed IED could cause “horrific injury” with severe bleeding and potential death.

He also said the potential shrapnel glued to the outside of the vinegar shaker bottle was telling and if the screws and tacks were put in with an explosive mixture placed inside it it would add to the fragmentation effect.

The court heard that the emergency services attended at the block of flats where he lived on July 2 last year after a young woman collapsed and was found to have no pulse.

A resident said that she previously saw the woman at Morgan’s flat and police decided to force entry because of concern for others. No one was in the flat at the time but officers noted drugs paraphernalia such as needles and scales and the premises were secured. Morgan was later seen nearby.

Specialist search officers were dispatched to the house and right wing flags, leaflets and stickers were found. As the search continued they discovered the vinegar bottle with lead shot and cartridges attached to it. A large quantity of commercial fireworks were found, some of which had been taken apart. A dagger bearing the symbol of an eagle mounted of a swastika was recovered under a sofa in the living room.

Police also discovered copies of an Al Qaeda terrorism manual and an IRA volunteers handbook on guerrilla warfare.

Defence solicitor advocate Brian Gilfedder said Morgan had an “atrocious” upbringing, including care homes and foster placements and began abusing drugs at the age of 11.

Gilfedder also told the court that Morgan “is not shy about the political and social views that he said he legitimately holds”.