Specialists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory provide evidence which secured conviction in West Yorkshire ‘revenge’ case
Specialists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) provided detailed evidence and expert witness statements in the trial of a man who plotted to harm police officers in West Yorkshire.
Ashkan Ebrahami, 33, was sentenced on Tuesday after being found guilty of possessing explosives with intent to endanger life, possession on an offensive weapon, possession of a bladed article in a public place and stalking offences. A spokesperson for Dstl’s Forensic Explosive Laboratory said:
The case related to a number of documents pertaining to the manufacture of explosives, as well as a quantity of precursor chemicals which could be used to manufacture explosives.
The main evidence for this case was prepared by one of FEL’s Principal Case Officers.
A jury at Bradford Crown Court heard how Ebrahimi became obsessed with revenge against the authorities after he was issued with a non-molestation order against his former partner by a judge in the county court and was subsequently separated from his young child. Ebrahimi targeted police officers and a judge after he became obsessed with “limitless revenge” against authority figures. A police spokesman said:
The effects of this action sowed the seeds of a deep hatred of the police that grew exponentially from that moment.
He believed that the police were committed to destroying his life and set about seeking to take extreme violent action against them.
He said Ebrahimi was arrested in October 2015 after concerns were raised by Calderdale College about his unusual interest in chemicals and wanting to develop a science lab at home. He developed a deep-seated and consuming hatred and loathing for people in authority, in the main police officers, and set about research and planning his limitless revenge against them. A large amount of chemicals were also recovered from Ebrahimi’s address, along with an extensive collection of weapons including knives, swords, crossbows and high-powered air rifles, the spokesman said. Ebrahimi had 90 videos saved that related to the creation of explosives, fuses, detonators and gunpowder. Detective Chief Inspector Warren Stevenson said:
Ebrahimi is a very dangerous individual who posed a significant and very serious threat to police officers, police staff, solicitors and the judiciary.
