Robert Templeton admits having 'Aladdin's cave' of weapons

Ballymena man Robert Templeton, 36, faced 10 charges

A County Antrim man who a court heard was preparing for an economic breakdown has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges including having guides on how to make weapons.

Robert Templeton, 36, who now has an address at Shancoole in Ballymena, had previously denied all 10 charges against him.

But on Wednesday at Antrim Crown Court, he changed his pleas to guilty.

He is due to be sentenced in May.

The court previously heard that "an Aladdin's cave" of "potentially deadly" device components were found at his previous address in Glarryford, near Ballymena, in July 2019.

On a previous day of Templeton's trial, the lawyer listed bags and tubs of chemicals, pipes, ball bearings, 194 boxes of matches, 350 fireworks and white forensic suits among the items found in the "cluttered and dishevelled home".

Gunpowder, ammunition, blades and a balaclava were also uncovered.

The lawyer added that Army bomb experts were brought in to help police during their 12-hour search of the property and that internet searches on devices found showed videos on doomsday and neutron bombs.

The charges Templeton admitted included possessing explosive chemicals, possessing instruction manuals on making improvised guns and importing a friction lock baton.

After Templeton pleaded guilty on Wednesday, the judge thanked the jury for their service "in these difficult circumstances" and excused them from having to do further jury duty.

She granted defence applications for a pre-sentence probation report and released Templeton on continuing bail, pending sentencing.

Adjourning sentencing until 13 May, the judge released Templeton on bail but warned him "that is not an indication of the ultimate sentence that the court will impose".