A TEENAGER who spent years making bombs in his bedroom was snared after he attempted to attack his family with a home-made sword.
Sakhile Ntsele was today convicted of 14 counts including possession of a firearm and making an explosive substance.
A routine domestic call-out exploded into the major weapons bust after police uncovered the teenager’s secret stash of home-made bombs and firearms hidden in his London bedroom.
Officers were first called to the address on October 27 after reports that Ntsele had attacked a family member by squirting anti-bacterial cleaner in his face.
Ntsele had then allegedly lunged at him with a crude sword fashioned from a thin metal bar.
But when police searched the teen’s room with a firearms recovery dog, they stumbled across a chilling haul.
Cops found seven improvised explosive devices and five firearms complete with ammunition.
Detective Inspector Raymond Sekalongo, who led the investigation said: “This was a complex case involving a young man who was completely obsessed with weapons and firearms.
“His obsession continued to grow alongside a self-taught expertise of crafting weapons and our investigation found he was watching videos about weapons almost on a daily basis.
“Ntsele manipulated everyone around him so that his actions wouldn’t be detected and his family were unaware of the disturbing material Ntsele was viewing.
“We cannot speculate what Ntsele was capable of however the work of our investigation team has ensured that he will not be able to cause harm to anyone.
“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, to prevent them from entering into a dangerous space where they could be influenced into criminality.”
He will be sentenced in February 2026 on a date yet to be set.
