An internet obsessive who amassed a stash of lethal weapons including a crossbow and machete has today been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Gabrielle Friel was found with a high-powered crossbow, 15 bolts, a 12 inch machete and a ballistic vest and had made repeated internet searches over firearms.
The 22-year-old was sentenced today at the High Court in Edinburgh.
A second charge that he prepared for terrorist acts by researching spree killings, particularly those connected with incels – people who are involuntarily celibate – was found not proven.
Friel had denied both charges and gave evidence in his own defence during the case, saying mass shooting was a ‘fantasy’ for him and he ‘felt for’ incel mass murderer Elliot Rodger, who killed six people in a stabbing and shooting spree in Isla Vista, California, in May 2014 before killing himself.
He had told a doctor he wanted to ‘carry out a mass shooting’ and his social worker reported he appeared to ‘almost idolise’ Rodger.
Friel claimed he also wanted to commit ‘suicide by cop’ when he stabbed a police officer at Edinburgh College’s Granton campus in November 2017.
Gabrielle Friel, 22, has been convicted of having weapons including a crossbow and machete but cleared of plotting to carry out ‘a spree killing’ inspired by the ‘involuntary celibate’ movement
As part of this charge, Friel was accused of having ‘expressed affinity with and sympathy for one incel-motivated mass murderer’ and to have expressed ‘a desire to carry out a spree killing mass murder’.
Incel followers blame attractive men and women for their inability to find a sexual partner.
The subculture first turned violent when American Elliot Rodger murdered six of his fellow students before killing himself at the University of California in May 2014.
Friel denied both charges and gave evidence in his own defence during the trial.
The jury previously heard Friel appeared to ‘almost idolise’ Rodger.
The court was told he amassed weapons last summer as he wanted to commit ‘suicide by cop’ to help end his violent thoughts.
Friel said mass shooting was a ‘fantasy’ for him and he ‘felt for’ incel mass murderer Rodger, but denied being an incel and described killers as ‘evil’.
Friel, 22, was found guilty by majority of having a crossbow, scope, crossbow arrows, a machete and a ballistic vest at various locations in Edinburgh between June 1 and August 16 last year
The items and weapons, including the knife pictured above, were found at his home, a social work centre and a hospital, in circumstances giving rise to the reasonable suspicion that possessing these was for a purpose connected with terrorism
As part of this charge, Friel was accused of having ‘expressed affinity with and sympathy for one incel-motivated mass murderer’ and to have expressed ‘a desire to carry out a spree killing mass murder’. Pictured: The crossbow bolts recovered by police
As well as the weapons, a telescopic sight was among the items recovered
The court heard his social worker Sarah Drummond’s email to his psychiatrist Dr Alexander Quinn said: ‘He feels jealous of others and feels that no girls are interested in him.
‘He wants to project his anger on to the world and described media attention from mass killing as the the only way the world would take notice.’
Friel claimed he also wanted to commit ‘suicide by cop’ when he stabbed a police officer at Edinburgh College’s Granton campus in November 2017.
Friel denied both charges and gave evidence in his own defence during the trial at Edinburgh High Court
He said fears he would fail a test had triggered negative thoughts of being bullied at high school in Singapore and previous attempts to take his own life, which led to further attempts before the college incident.
The court heard Friel was sentenced to 300 hours of community service after pleading guilty at a hearing in June 2018 to the stabbing, which endangered the officer’s life.
Items recovered by police were previously presented to the court during evidence from Khaldoun Kabbani, a forensic scientist from the Scottish Police Authority who focuses on ballistics and weapons, including the science of bullets and projectiles.
A report suggested the crossbow was in ‘good external condition’ and ‘in working order’, with the specifications stating it could fire arrows at 340ft per second and had a draw weight of 175lb.
When advocate depute Richard Goddard asked if that was a considerable weight, Mr Kabbani replied ‘yes’.
Mr Goddard also asked about the registration of crossbows, to which Mr Kabbani read out a document stating they ‘cannot be considered firearms’ but there is legislation on the sale of those with a draw weight over 1.4kg (3lb).
The crossbow shown to the jury on Wednesday had a draw weight of 79kg (175lb), according to another document.
Mr Goddard asked what damage this could cause, to which Mr Kabbani highlighted the steel tip arrows could pierce the ‘flesh and vital organs’, with many factors contributing to potential injury, such as wearing protection.
The advocate asked if it was ‘capable of killing someone’ and Mr Kabbani replied: ‘Correct.’
The court was also shown three packets of five arrows, with the report saying one had been damaged with the steel tip and part of the shaft missing.
Friel is alleged to have test-fired the crossbow at a drinks can at his Edinburgh home.
Mr Kabbani said while one ’empty Pepsi can appears to be pierce-damaged’ and could have been caused by an arrow, he added: ‘Other methods of damage cannot be ruled out.’
The vest was also shown to the court and worn by Mr Kabbani, who said it did not have the protective plates that would make it bullet or stab-proof.
Brian Gilfedder, Friel’s lawyer, asked if someone would be able to tell from a distance if the plates were there, to which Mr Kabbani replied: ‘No.’
The court heard Friel had ‘expressed affinity with and sympathy for one incel-motivated mass murderer’ and the jury previously heard he appeared to ‘almost idolise’ US killer Elliot Rodger (pictured)