Teen terrorist who plotted college massacre found stockpiling weapons in Wakefield prison

Liam Lyburd was just a teenager when he was jailed for life in 2015 for planning atrocities aimed at inflicting maximum deaths and casualties among fellow students. But the “highly-intelligent” autistic prisoner was brought back to court this week after admitting a string of new offences while behind bars.

Prosecuting the case at Leeds Crown Court, Richard Canning said it stemmed from four separate incidents during his time at HMP Wakefield. On March 5, 2020, officers searched his cell and found two pieces of wood that he had sharpened into weapons. He told officers that he had them for self harming.

Then five months later, Lyburd attacked a prisoner whom he did not know. The victim was standing on the wing chatting to another inmate when Lyburd launched an attack, striking him to his face with a highlighter pen that had a nail protruding from the end. The man was left with a laceration on his eyebrow and puncture wounds to his lip and back.

Having being placed in segregation, on January 23, 2021, a prisoner officer stepped into his cell as Lyburd lunged at him, trying to stab in the stomach before being restrained. He was found to have two weapons on him, including an eight-inch chunk of sharpened plastic attached to a handle made of bedding, along with a sharpened highlighter pen.

The next day his cell was searched further and another weapon was located – a plastic bottle twisted tightly to make a handle with a screw protruding from the lid.

The 26-year-old admitted section-18 GBH, an assault of an emergency worker and two counts of possessing prohibited weapons in prison.

Mitigating, Matthew Pardoe said that Lyburd had been held in an autism unit at then Love Lane prison, but was fearful of being moved back into general population. He has since been moved to HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire, which he says has had a calming effect on Lyburd.

He said: “The level of noise is much lower and he finds it far easier to concentrate and maintain stability.”

Mr Pardoe said that Lyburd has been studying geology and learned to play chess, reaching “Grandmaster” level in quick time. He added: “He is a man of considerable talent but he needs to be monitored.”

The judge, Recorder David Gordon said: “It’s clear you have had difficulties throughout your life, you are on the autism spectrum. You are highly intelligent but it’s had a profound effect on you life.”

He jailed him for seven years and four months, which will begin once his current sentence expires.

Lyburd was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court in 2015 of possessing an arsenal of weapons including pipe bombs and a gun, with intent to endanger life. They also found Glock pistol and 94 hollow-tipped expanding bullets.

Jurors heard the "cold and detached" teenager held a grudge against Newcastle College after being kicked off his course for bad behaviour. Police were tipped off by a member of the public concerned about his disturbing Facebook postings.

He was given a life term, to serve a minimum of eight years.