Autistic man, 29, who was accused of building #bombs in neo-Nazi #plot is cleared of far-right #terror charges after lawyer said he had a ‘legitimate interest’ in chemistry and was ‘a bit pathetic’

Richard Smith was cleared of making bombs and plotting neo-Nazi attack  Prosecutors alleged that he was preparing to commit acts of terrorism But Smith’s lawyer said he had an ‘interest in chemistry’ and was a ‘bit pathetic’  By JACK WRIGHT FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 16:21 BST, 14 June 2022 | UPDATED: 16:21 BST, 14 June 2022 e-mail 14 shares 1 View comments An autistic ‘loner’ who was accused of building bombs in a neo-Nazi plot in Scotland has been cleared after his lawyer said he was ‘a bit pathetic’ but had a ‘legitimate interest in chemistry’. Richard Smith, 29, was found not guilty of carrying out preparations to commit acts of terrorism between August 2018 and November 2019 after a three-week trial at Edinburgh’s High Court. Prosecutors alleged that he possessed or was making home-made explosive substances including ‘weapons of mass destruction’ at various locations in Aberdeen. They also claimed Smith had downloaded information which promoted anti-Muslim, neo-Nazi and other racist causes, including far-Right tweets addressed to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, had breached the Poisons Act 1972, and had assaulted a police officer.

via dailymail: Autistic man, 29, who was accused of building bombs in neo-Nazi plot is cleared of far-right terror charges after lawyer said he had a ‘legitimate interest’ in chemistry and was ‘a bit pathetic’