Bomb-maker had photos of Justin Bieber and Kate Middleton on ‘hate’ dartboard

A man who made bombs in his house had a ‘hate’ dartboard with images of celebs including Barack Obama, Justin Bieber, Cheryl Tweedy and Kate Middleton, and Muslim people.

Police found a terrifying cache of explosives and weapons when they raided Matthew Glynn’s home in Horfield, Bristol.

The 37-year-old had a viable improvised explosive device (IED) – containing ball bearings and nails – under his bed, plus Samurai swords and hundreds of knives and axes.

Army bomb disposal (EOD) officers closed off his street for two nights while they searched his home, where they found more than 6kg of explosive powders and chemicals used for bomb making.

Glynn, who had demonstrated "racist and homophobic views", also bought a Wolverine-style weapon with four sharp blades, described as "horrific" by police.

Details of the ‘hate board’ emerged as Glynn was jailed for five years on Wednesday.

In a sentencing hearing at Bristol Crown Court, Ramin Pakrooh, defending, said his client had a collection of celebrity faces on a dartboard, who he supposedly hated.

It also had images of a Somalian boy and an old white man.

Bristol Crown Court heard a colleague tipped off police after visiting Glynn at his home in July.

Rachel Drake, prosecuting, said: "He went straight to the defendant’s bedroom and saw a vast array of weapons.

"He also saw a dartboard with pictures of Muslim people upon it and Mr Glynn said he had a dart board of ‘people I hate’.

"Mr Glynn gave a tour of his weapons, describing their origin and use.

"The following day at work, Mr Glynn joked that he had had him sat on a bomb when he had been sat on the bed."

The colleague, James Grogan, did not believe Glynn at first but later reported the claim to police.

Mr Grogan described Glynn as being an anxious man who demonstrated "racist and homophobic views".

Officers attended at Howdens Joinery, where Glynn worked, on July 23 and he insisted it had been a joke.

Ms Drake said when police asked to search Glynn’s home and he agreed, as long as he could clean his house first.

He then said he was worried about numerous swords, and asked if he did have something "would it be classed as a terror incident?".

He then admitted making explosives.

Glynn’s bed was X-rayed and a bomb, containing explosives, ball bearings and nails, was discovered.

Ms Drake said experts concluded the device "would have posed a threat to life" if it had been detonated.

The police search found a vast array of chemicals, including over 6kg of home-made explosive powder, a device covered with ball bearings and a tennis ball filled with explosive powder, which could have been used as a grenade.

They also unearthed a substantial collection of blades, books on explosives, fuses, ball-bearings and gas canisters, the court heard.

Ms Drake said: "It was an extremely large arsenal.

"In interview, he said it was his intention at some point to go to an open space to ignite them to see what damage they could do."

Glynn’s Facebook pages demonstrated anti-Islamic and racial hatred, said Ms Drake, including rants about banning school trips to mosques calls for the death penalty for terrorists.

She said he did not have an explanation for the dartboard of people he hated found at his home and denied he still held views expressed on Facebook.

"The Facebook pages demonstrate an element of Islamophobia and general racial hated," Ms Drake told the court.

One posts suggested school trips to mosques should be banned, while another called for the death penalty for serial killers, paedophiles and terrorists.

Mr Pakrooh, representing Glynn, questioned why his client’s Facebook postings had been raised in court.

"There’s a number of views expressed within his Facebook page such as views on immigration," Mr Pakrooh said.

"That is absolutely a matter for him and is absolutely not for this court to censure these views unless these views have resulted in him breaking the law."

Mr Pakrooh said Glynn "objected" to his dartboard being referred to as a "Muslim board" by prosecutors.

Mr Pakrooh: "It was a board for people he hated.

"I don’t think any of the images on that board have escaped having darts thrown at them."

Glynn had been collecting weapons for about 20 years and treated them as a "hobby", his barrister said.

The court heard Glynn had no previous convictions.

At a hearing in October, Glynn admitted five charges under the Explosive Substances Act 1883 between January 1, 2016 and July 24, 2018.

Sentencing Glynn to five years in prison, Judge Peter Blair QC, the Recorder of Bristol, said the defendant had expressed "hated of others".

He described his Facebook postings as "haphazard and irregular".

The judge said: "The really concerning elements of this case were the two bombs which were seized.

"One of them had ball bearings and nails in it and the other had ball bearings on it."

The judge ordered for the bombs and related material to be destroyed.

A spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Matthew Glynn was charged with making an explosive device, possession of a regulated substance and possession of a prohibited weapon.

"The case failed to meet the evidential test to charge any terrorism offences."

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