Sussex weapon-obsessed man jailed over paintball grenades
Scott Porter, 44 from Haywards Health also admitted to having information useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism in three scrapbooks.
A weapons-obsessed man who had a stash of "fantastical" devices including improvised paintball grenades has been jailed for more than four years.
Scott Porter, 44, pleaded guilty in September to possessing an explosive substance in the form of six paintball grenades filled with glass, metal and chilli powder.
He also admitted having information useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism in three scrapbooks.
On Tuesday, Judge Mark Dennis QC jailed him for four years and three months with a further extended licence period of four years.
Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said the offences came to light in September 2019 after Porter was arrested for a bungled bid to rob a chemist with a crossbow, which he went on to admit.
The court heard that the pharmacist recognised Porter who had asked for Valium and morphine but left empty-handed.
Police raided Porter's home in Haywards Heath, East Sussex, and uncovered a trove of weapons.
They included crossbows, knives, knuckledusters and ingredients to make homemade explosives, the court heard.
Further searches uncovered the paintball grenades, spears and other makeshift weapons including toy gun foam darts with needles inserted in the ends, and spiked knee pads.
Porter had jotted down in notebooks designs for making weapons, and how to carry out an attack and avoid detection, the court heard.
He wrote: "Dear lord, please allow me to do this and not get caught. This will be practice for runs doing bigger jobs.
"It will give me the funds to start to bring vengeance upon those that would abuse the innocent.
"Please can I bring vengeance on those that are cruel to animals with your blessing."
The notebooks also contained details of people Porter considered were involved in fox hunts or animal cruelty.
In a police interview, Porter claimed he had the grenades for "if an apocalyptic scenario had happened", the court heard.
Mr Bisgrove said that although no specific plans or ideology had been identified, Porter posed a risk to the general public, given the stash of weapons and the destabilising effects of his use of drugs.
In mitigation, the court heard Porter's drug abuse explained his "fear of an apocalyptic scenario" and his "fantastical designs" for weapons.