Teenager who plotted 'Britain's biggest school massacre' jailed for 49 years after murdering his mother and two siblings

He had been planning to then carry out a shooting at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, where Prosper and his siblings had been pupils.

Police believe he killed his family when his mother confronted him after she found a shotgun he had bought using a fake certificate.

Prosper managed to forge a gun licence and used it to buy a shotgun and 100 cartridges from a legitimate firearms dealer the day before the murders.

He had originally planned to kill his family members as they lay sleeping, however, an interruption at home led to him murdering his family earlier than planned.

After killing his mother and two siblings, he fled his family's flat earlier than anticipated after a neighbour repeatedly knocked at the door.

After hiding for two hours, Prosper left the gun and cartridges hidden in bushes and made his way to a nearby road where he was arrested by police.

Prosper pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, one count of purchasing a firearm without a firearm certificate, one count of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, and one count of having an article with a blade at Luton Crown Court.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Teenager who murdered his mother and two siblings planned to kill 30 children in school massacre
• Teenager who murdered his mother and siblings was banned from gore site with videos of people killed
• Teenager, 19, who murdered his mother and two siblings was plotting school shooting

The court heard his aim was to be known as "the world's most famous school shooter of the 21st century".

He researched school massacres in the United States, Norway, Australia and New Zealand ahead of the attacks.

Justice Cheema-Grubbfacts said Prosper had not hated his mother or siblings and had "had a good life with them", but that he had planned to kill them in their sleep and rape his sister.

She sentenced him to life with a minimum term of 18 years for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, three-and-a-half years for buying the gun and one year for possession of the knife, to run concurrently.

"A murder spree with the sole aim of glorifying the name of the perpetrator in the history of mass killers is what you intended," she said.

"You have also expressed no remorse and no sorrow. Indeed, when asked by the psychiatrist if you would try to commit another massacre, you replied: 'Well, that's their job to stop me getting the weapons if I get released'."

Shan Saunders for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Our thoughts today are with those who knew and loved Juliana, Giselle and Kyle.

“Nicholas Prosper’s cold and calculated killing of his mother, brother and sister and the revelation that he planned to shoot a class of school children and their teachers has left his family devastated and an entire community in shock.

“The case presented by the Crown Prosecution Service, supported by a detailed investigation by the police, laid bare the scale of his planning and the extent of his disturbing interest in mass murder.

“The evidence in this case was indisputable and, unable to defend his actions, he admitted to his crimes.

“It is beyond comprehension that a young man would want to kill those closest to him and target innocent young children. His clear lack of empathy and remorse is highly unusual and deeply concerning.

“We recognise the deep distress and anxiety felt by those in the local community upon learning the detail of these chilling crimes.

“Now that the criminal proceedings are concluded we hope that the loved ones of Juliana, Giselle and Kyle can begin to rebuild their lives.”