Edinburgh terrorism trial: Gabrielle Friel ‘identified’ with misogynist US spree killer Elliot Rodger as jury shown video recorded before California university campus attack which killed 6

Jurors were shown seven minutes of video footage of Elliot Rodger recorded before he launched the attack near the University of California campus in Isla Vista in May 2014.

In it, Rodger announced that tomorrow is "the day of retribution" when he would have his revenge against humanity.

He said: "Girls give their affection, their sex, their love to other men but never to me. I am 22 years old. I am still a virgin. I have never even kissed a girl."

The footage was shown during the trial of Gabrielle Friel, who is accused of possessing a crossbow, 15 crossbow bolts, a machete and ballistic vest in Edinburgh last year which gave rise to a “reasonable suspicion” that this was connected to the purpose of instigating acts of terrorism.

The court also heard previously that Friel, 22, allegedly conducted online searches in relation to spree killings which were motivated by Incels - involuntary celibates - and that he expresses a desire to “carry out a spree killing mass murder.”

On Thursday, on the third day of the trial, the court heard from Dr Stephane Baele who said that Incels is an expression for groups of mostly men who are ‘involuntary celibate.’

Dr Baele, who is regarded as a leading expert on Incels, told the court how Incels believe that society is structured along lines of sexual and physical attractiveness.

The academic, who is a senior lecturer in the Politics Department at Exeter University, said that Incel men believe they are the ‘bottom’ grouping of society and that physically attractive women are at the top.

The court heard how such men blame women for their inability to have sex lives and endorse acts like rape and acid attacks against females.

He also said that the group occupies part of the internet he called the ‘Manosphere galaxy’ and said Incels post on websites like Reddit and message boards with links to far right wing political views.

Advocate depute Richard Goddard QC said that the academic was aware from materials that he got it was at least alleged by a witness that Friel had seen an Elliot Rodger video.

The academic agreed that Rodger was the best known figure in the incel movement. He said: "Roger is omnipresent on incel forums. He is widely referred to as a saint."

"Elliot Roger, in particular, has become some sort of founding father, a cult figure," he said.

He said he was familiar with the term "suicide terrorism" and said it was a trend that had become predominant as a means of conducting terrorism by committing suicide and at the same time killing others.

In a report he prepared, Dr Baele stated that any conclusion as to whether or not Friel held a particular ideology was beyond the remit of his analysis.

Friel ‘identified’ with Elliot Rodger

The court heard that Mr Friel saw a psychiatrist called Dr Alexander Quinn who recorded remarks allegedly made by the accused during a meeting between them.

Dr Quinn, who gave evidence earlier in the trial, said that Friel made the comment: "I feel like Elliot Roger. He was a killer in a school."

Dr Quinn said this gave him the impression that Friel "identified" with Rodger.

The medic said that Friel felt "jealous" that he didn't have any girlfriend and that no girl had ever been "interested" in him. Friel said he also "hated" men who were in relationships with women.

When Mr Goddard asked Dr Baele whether Mr Friel's alleged idolisation of Elliot Rodger was typical of Incels, Dr Baele replied: "Yes. I would say the idolisation of Eliot Roger is indeed a typical trait of someone who identifies with Incels."

Dr Baele said that Friel also appeared to have made searches of the Internet in relation to incidents like the mass shooting at Columbine High School.

He added: "The accused has looked for information about Incels and Incel related violence."

However, Dr Baele said that Friel searched for other things and that his internet search history didn't alone establish that he identified with the Incel ideology.

In a report prepared for prosecutors, Dr Baele said: "The accused appeared to also have an affinity with non ideologically motivated shootings."

The court heard earlier in the trial that, in 2017, Friel brought a knife into Edinburgh College where he was a student at the time. Former classmate, Jordan Wilson, gave evidence that Friel told him not to come into college that day because “there will be an attack.”

Mr Wilson later told police that Friel said he was planning to attack the cafeteria with a knife he had brought.

Police Constable Mark McNulty was one of the officers who responded. He told the court that Friel had pulled out a kitchen knife and, as he brandished it above his head, one of his colleagues suffered a laceration to his shoulder.

Following Friel’s arrest over this incident, he was an inpatient at the Orchard Clinic secure unit at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital and was released into the community in June 2018.

Prosecutors allege that between June 1, 2019 and August 16, 2019, at various locations in Edinburgh, Friel possessed a crossbow, a scope, 15 crossbow bolts, a machete and a ballistic vest.

In this charge, prosecutors claim that this gave rise “to reasonable suspicion” that his possession was “for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of act of terrorism”.

Prosecutors say he purchased a crossbow, a scope, crossbow arrows, a machete and a ballistic vest and that he stored them at his home address.

Mr Friel has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The trial continues.