Axe-Wielding Far-Right Teenager Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder

Alina Burns, 18, has pleaded guilty to attempted murder and three counts of possession of a bladed article following a far-right axe attack in Bristol.

The court heard that Burns, a member of the Patriotic Alternative, purchased the axe from Screwfix on the day of the attack before targeting an Iranian Kurd.

CCTV footage from a Bedminster barber's shop showed the victim, Mohammed Mahmoodi, ducking as the defendant swung the weapon at his neck.

The defendant was disarmed by the victim but was later found by police to be in possession of a scalpel and several darts.

Read more: The Sentencing Act 2026: A Fundamental Shift

Upon arrest, Burns admitted she "wanted to cut his neck" and expressed an intention to "kill him or injure the man" during the unprovoked assault.

Digital evidence revealed an email sent to an associate calling for the killing of Jews and Muslims to trigger a "civil war" in Britain.

Serena Gates KC told the court that Burns described herself as the "embodiment of hell" and possessed a "desire for a white England" achieved through terror.

Investigations into the teenager’s diaries uncovered an obsession with Adolf Hitler and weapons used by German forces in both World Wars.

Read more: Dangerous Predator Jailed for Brutal Domestic Knife Attack

In the days preceding the attack, Burns used Google to research the legal age to buy an axe and viewed "gore" videos of fatal stabbings.

During a mental health assessment, the defendant stated that she would "go on again but to succeed" and asked if the attack was "in the news yet."

Despite admitting the physical act of attempted murder, Burns has denied that the incident was motivated by terrorism.

The sentencing judge is scheduled to rule on the issue of terrorist motivation during a hearing in May 2026.