Wandsworth teen convicted of making explosives and possessing a firearm

A teenager who joked about attacking his classmates with homemade guns has been convicted of possession of a firearm and producing explosives.

Sakhile Ntsele, from Wandsworth in south-west London, spent years making a collection of weapons in his bedroom, his trial heard.

Police discovered the armoury after the now 18-year-old attacked a family member with a sword he had made from a metal bar in October 2024. Seven improvised explosive devices and five firearms with ammunition were found in his room.

Det Insp Raymond Sekalongo, from the Met Police, said it was a “complex case involving a young man who was completely obsessed with weapons and firearms”. Ntsele is due to be sentenced in February.

Ntsele’s internet search history showed he spent hundreds of hours watching videos on how to make shotgun shells at home and build homemade weapons, the Met Police said.

He first came to the attention of police aged 14 in 2021 when he was arrested in possession of 55 rounds of ammunition.

That case was discontinued in March 2023, but the charges were added to the 2024 investigation.

A jury at Inner London Crown Court found him guilty of eight counts of making explosive substances for unlawful purposes.

Last month, he admitted possession of ammunition without a certificate in 2021 and five counts of possession of a firearm without a certificate.

Det Insp Sekalongo said: “We cannot speculate what Ntsele was capable of… this case has highlighted the accessibility of dangerous material available to young people online.

“We would encourage all parents to be conscious of what their child is accessing online.”