Breaking Bad fan 'bought ricin' on dark net

The court heard ricin was mentioned "multiple times" in the hit TV show Breaking Bad

A man accused of trying to buy ricin after watching the TV show Breaking Bad said he was "surprised" how quickly the order arrived.

Mohammed Ali, of Prescot Road, Liverpool, allegedly tried to buy 500mg of ricin from a "dealer" on the dark net who was really an FBI agent.

A jury at the Old Bailey heard the poison was used in "multiple plot lines" in the hit show.

The 31-year-old denies attempting to possess a chemical weapon.

Mr Ali told the court: "I never in my wildest dreams imagined that he [the FBI agent] would send it in a toy car. I thought it would be sent by a secure method.

"He was sending a dangerous substance from abroad, getting it through customs. I thought that, if he is going to send this, it will get stopped by customs."

When police raided his home, he was asked if there were any hazardous substances in the property.

He admitted, in cross-examination by Sally Howes, telling "a little lie" saying there was nothing there. When asked why, he said he was "simply frightened and scared about the whole situation".

'Reckless'

Mr Ali said he investigated the dark net and ricin late last year as a result of his long-term interest in computers.

The court heard he had found a "loophole" in the PayPal system and stolen more than £250,000.

His newsagent father was forced to sell one of his shops to pay back the money and avoid his son's prosecution when the company found out.

He said he now realised buying ricin was "reckless" and that he had never intended to harm anyone.

Earlier, when asked by his lawyer Joel Bennathan QC how his interest in Breaking Bad and the Dark Net combined, he said: "I was interested in the dark net and ricin.

"I just wanted to know what the fuss was about. I wanted to know, can you actually get anything from these sites?"

He said he found "drugs, guns, other illegal items, and because I had been watching Breaking Bad TV show I just had ricin in my mind".

He told the court "he did not know" ricin was an illegal chemical weapon.

Jurors were told that he later went to bed with the intention of getting rid of the substance the following day, but was arrested in the morning.

The trial continues.