Nailbomber 'followed Nazism'

Mr Copeland denies the murder of three in the Soho bomb

London nailbomber David Copeland wanted to become an SS commander at the age of 16, the Old Bailey has been told.

Copeland, 24, has admitted causing explosions in Soho, Brick Lane, east London, and Brixton, during April last year in which three people were killed and hundreds of others injured.

He is being tried for murder after the prosecution refused to accept his pleas of guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

David Copeland was a paranoid schizophrenic, the defence argued

The court was told that Copeland had told a psychiatrist he became fascinated with Nazism when he was 13 and with violence before he was 19.

"He said he would have liked to be tall, white, good looking, an SS commander, powerful with female slaves to have sex with but not rape.

"He would torture and kill men but not women or children. He used to dream about this from the age of 16," Nigel Sweeney QC, prosecuting, read from one psychiatric report.

Copeland was interested in sadomasochistic sexual activities, according to the report.

Mr Sweeney was cross-examining defence consultant psychiatrist Paul Gilluley about his view that Copeland was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia when he carried out the bombing campaign.

'Righteous prophet'

Dr Gilluley told the court the defendant believed that he was the "first domino" in a race war.

He believed that he was a prophet and that Jesus would take him up to heaven because he was righteous.

Dr Gilluley said Copeland's personality had begun to change when he was a teenager and that he had isolated himself from his family and friends.

The prosecution argued that Copeland was just an extreme racist, and was an intelligent man "well able to make up stories when it suited his purpose".

Mr Copeland had developed an interest in Nazism

Mr Sweeney said Copeland had admitted he was a compulsive liar.

He had made up symptoms and said he liked tricking and confusing people, said Mr Sweeney.

Copeland told prosecution consultant psychiatrist, Dr Philip Joseph, he got the idea in prison that God had told him to do it.

He had never made reference to God in his police interviews, the prosecution alleged.

Dr Gilluley said it was his view that Copeland was psychotic.

The trial was adjourned until Friday.