Conspiracy theorists dubbed ‘Bonnie and Clyde with box of matches’ plotted to destroy 5G masts, court hears
Two anti-vax conspiracy theorists dubbed “Bonnie and Clyde with a box of matches” encouraged attacks on MPs and sought to destroy 5G phone masts, a court has heard.
Christine Grayson, 59, collected crossbows and Darren Reynolds, 60, sought to re-activate replica assault rifles as they talked of killing MPs and praised the attacks on Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, the court was told.
The pair subscribed to an ideology which involved “anti-authoritarian views and conspiracy theories,” prosecutor Tom Storey said.
They believed 5G phone masts were designed to be used as a “weapon” against members of the public and were linked to the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine, the prosecutor told Leeds Crown Court.
In June 2021, Grayson allegedly told another Telegram user that she had some friends coming to stay and wondered whether “we can maybe get rid of the 5G towers come up with summit together, keep it between ourselves, we can cause some f**kery”.
She described one of the friends as doing “all-sorts for the resistance” and went on to discuss various means by which 5G masts could be destroyed, it is claimed.
The court heard that in May last year, the pair had a Telegram conversation in which Reynolds said that they could be “the first male female arson team”, and Grayson responded: “Bonny and Clyde [sic] with a box of matches” adding later: “Think we need a group for fire balling 5G.”
Their anti-authoritarian views were expressed in “extreme terms” and involved discussions about potential armed uprisings and attacks on members of parliament or the police, jurors heard.
On occasions they called for members of parliament to be hanged for what they termed “treasonous behaviour,” linked to their anti-vaccine philosophy, Mr Storey told the court.
Jurors were told that on 30 September, in a conversation with another Telegram user, Reynolds said: “We need to destroy the Jews once and for all. Total annihilation, no trials, no prisoners.”
The next day, he allegedly described parliament as “a nest of Jews, foreigners and collaborators”, adding: “all must hang!!”.
Reynolds also said the roll-out of the COVID vaccine amounted to treason and genocide and “the penalty for treason is death by hanging”, the court heard.
He described Sir David Amess as a “traitor” on the day of his killing and supported Thomas Mair’s “execution” of Jo Cox because of her alleged treason, jurors were told.
Defendants ‘found in possession of weapons’
On June 28, Grayson allegedly sent a text message to another user which read: “Mark says parliament is to [sic] heavily guarded, we won’t get near it, best way to do it is local cop shops, get them bit at a time. Going after the mps, then cops. Mps are in local offices.”
Mr Storey told Leeds Crown Court: “It is clear from their discussions that their publicly expressed views crossed the line from merely voicing strongly held political or societal opinions, to overtly advocating the use of violence towards those whom they regarded as traitors, and in particular, members of parliament.”
The pair talked of the need to arm themselves and to engage in a fight against “the enemy”, and both were found to be in possession of weapons when their home addresses were searched on 22 August last year, jurors heard.
Police found Grayson, from York, had a crossbow and a number of crossbow bolts and Reynolds, from Sheffield, had two replica assault rifles, the court was told.
Jurors heard he had asked a gunsmith online what would need to be done to reactivate such firearms and told another Telegram user that he had used the COVID lockdown to learn how to convert firearms, guerrilla tactics, and what he called “counter-measures.”
The pair deny encouraging terrorism and conspiracy to cause criminal damage to 5G masts between May 13 and June 20 last year.
Reynolds is also charged with three counts of disseminating terrorist publications and six counts of possessing information useful for terrorism.
The case continues.
