A BRADFORD teenager who constructed a potential bomb and spoke to pupils about carrying out a school shooting told a jury it was all lies and he wanted to “show off” to gain attention, a court heard.

The 16-year-old, who can't be named for legal reasons, actively bragged about his involvement with government counter-terrorism strategy, Prevent following a referral by police to increase his popularity.

He felt glad a female intervention mentor “swallowed up all my lies” about mining bitcoins, purchasing guns, and a piece of music that made him want to kill someone which ensured that the meetings would continue, a court heard.

A court previously heard that the teen researched bomb-making extensively before creating a device by strapping together two C02 canisters and filling one with shrapnel.

If gunpowder was added to it, it could have been a 'viable C02 bomb' and the teen followed instructions for the manufacture of the device in a copy of 'The Anarchist's Corner' on June 18, 2018.

He praised Nazi leader Hitler and said 'gas the Jews' to fellow students but claims to have only been joking.

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The teen today admitted he told other pupils he might bring a gun into school and “do a killing” but insisted it was “merely for attention and there was no malicious intent to it”.

Giving evidence at Leeds Crown Court, the teen, who was wearing a black suit, said the threats were all a joke to gain attention and he wanted to boast about contact with Prevent because it was “cool”.

He said: “It's preventing terrorists, I thought it was really cool and something I could show off about.

“I felt glad she {an intervention mentor} swallowed up all my lies, again it was something to brag about.”

The teen voluntarily spoke with Prevent mainly “to keep them on my arse to show off", he told jurors.

When asked about a piece of music he mentioned to Prevent staff which made him want to kill someone, the teen said: “I said that so she would think this kid is crazy, maybe he will have to stay with Prevent. Thinking this kid is capable of killing someone.

“I wanted to stay because it was something to brag to my friends about.”

He claimed the comments he made to Prevent staff about mining bitcoins, modifying Playstations, Dark Web usage and inducing euphoric hallucinations from eating chewing gum left in an orange for a month were all untrue.

But the teen accepted that he developed an interest in Hitler because he was “different and unique” and would spend around an hour per night on the Dark Web, jurors were told.

He also thought “it was funny” to dress up in Taliban style headscarfs after being inspired by video games Call of Duty and Modern Warfare, a court heard.

A court previously heard the teen was caught after a search warrant was obtained and executed at an address in Bradford by officers of the North East Counter Terrorism Unit in August 2018.

During the raid, officers seized two computer towers and two CO2 canisters that had been joined together from his bedroom and filled with shrapnel, the jury heard.

The 'Anarchist's Corner' instructions state a C02 bomb can be 'used for crowd control or killing if shrapnel is added' in bold type.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to one count of making an explosive substance with intent, one count of making an explosive substance and three counts of possession of a document 'likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism'.

Addressing questions from defence counsel, Mr Ali Naseem Bajwa QC, the teen said he was being picked on and attempts were made for him to change schools at age 14, a court heard.

But the move didn't work out because the teen made an unfounded allegation against a teacher who he claimed had assaulted him after placing a sticker on his blazer.

He said: “At first my behaviour was fine, during the course of the years my behaviour got disruptive, mainly showing off when I was 12-years-old.

“I was getting picked on by other pupils. My grandmother on my father's side passed away, that affected me because I didn't really get to know her and felt a bit depressed.”

He sent a video to a friend on September 3, 2016, which showed him carrying an empty air pistol and can be heard saying: “As you can see, Isis is number one priority.”

He would self harm two to three times a week and made an attempt to take his own life around three months before his arrest by overdosing, a court heard.

The teen told pupils he might bring a gun into school and “do a killing” but insisted it was only a joke.

“I was saying it merely for attention,” he said. “There was no malicious intent to it.”

Jurors were previously told the boy searched 'how to make a CO2 bomb' online and watched music videos which focused on or referenced the Columbine High School Massacre, the court heard.

On April 20 1999, two students of Columbine High School in the US entered their school grounds armed with weapons and improvised explosive devices they had constructed from instructions obtained via the Internet.

Jurors were told that police were first alerted to the boy when he was aged 13.

The teen was referred to the Prevent program a year later, Prosecutor Paul Greaney QC told a court.

He met an intervention mentor ten times during the program, where he "expressed disturbing views”, the prosecutor told the court.

In April 2017 as an army cadet, the defendant attended a weekend camping trip where he "brought with him a knife" and "used it to slash tents, frightening the female occupants and causing damage", the prosecutor said.

As a result, he was dismissed from the cadets, the jury was told.

After moving to his grandparents' home, the defendant's use of his computer "became extremely dark", the court heard.

A search warrant was conducted on August 10, 2018, and the teen was arrested the following day.

The trial, which is expected to last two to three weeks, continues.