Man who used 3D printer to make gun part locked up

A teenager has been locked up for making a gun part using a 3D printer.

Owain Roberts, 19, of St Michael's Street in Newport, was part of a messaging group called domestic terrorism and shared anti-Semitic messages online, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Roberts was 17 when the offence took place but messages up to March 2024 suggested he was intending to finish the firearm.

Roberts pleaded guilty to manufacturing a component part for a weapon - a frame for a FGC9 semi automatic pistol - and was sentenced to four years and nine months in a young offenders institution.

Police also found gas masks, body armour and night vision goggles in his bedroom in Newport which had a poster of JStark on the wall, the man who made the first printed firearm.

The frame Roberts printed forms the outside of the gun which hold other parts.

A FGC9 is a 3D printed weapon which the court heard was "deliberately designed to circumvent firearms laws through the use of non-regulated parts."

Rebecca Griffiths, prosecuting, told the court police searched Roberts' home in April after he became the focus of an investigation by serious organised crime officers.

At his father's home in Newport, officers seized a 3D printer, a frame for a FGC9, steel barrels and a magazine for a gun - the part which stores and feeds ammunition.

Roberts exchanged messages on a site called Discord used by gamers with the profile name Strelok which the court was told meant "gun slinger" in Russian.

The court was read some of the messages which included references to Adolf Hitler and indicated he wanted to hurt Jewish people and Muslims.

A second search of Roberts' bedroom uncovered bullets, knives, target posters and an American revolutionary flag known as the Gadsden flag, with the words 'Don't tread on me',

This type of flag was seen in the US Capitol Riots in 2021.

A firearms expert told the court that the gun was "reliable and lethal".

The court heard that Roberts had undertaken basic military training in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and marksmanship had been an element of his training before he dropped out after five months.

During police interviews, Roberts described the messages sent as "lads' banter", describing the name of the group domestic terrorism as a "dark joke and in bad taste".

He claimed he only planned to use the gun for display and used the night vision goggle "to look at the stars".

Defending, Peter Donnison said Roberts was a self-described "nerd" with an interest in puzzles and the mechanical working of objects.

He said Roberts was "genuinely remorseful" and ashamed of his conduct, particularly the comments he made online.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said she took into account Roberts' age and immaturity but said his views and interest in military activity was relevant.

Roberts will serve half of his sentence in custody before being considered for release.