An 18-year-old from Stafford has pleaded guilty to possessing explosive substances and issuing threats to bomb a local college. Jagger Strang entered the pleas on the morning of his scheduled trial at Leicester Crown Court, admitting to seven charges out of nine.
Details of the Charges
Strang confessed to possessing gunpowder and thermite, along with accessing YouTube videos on manufacturing black powder and creating detonators from everyday materials. He also admitted to threatening to kill fellow students at Stafford College and detonate a bomb there in September 2025.
The court accepted Strang’s basis for the pleas, stating he had no intention of actually building a bomb. Prosecutors dropped the remaining two charges, avoiding a full trial.
Sentencing and Custody
Mr Justice Wall scheduled sentencing for June 29 at Birmingham Crown Court. Strang remains in custody until that date.
Police Investigation
Staffordshire Police responded to reports a college safeguarding officer last September after Strang, a student at Stafford College, boasted to peers about owning multiple weapons and plotting to destroy the campus.
Officers arrested Strang at his home that day and searched the property, seizing chemicals, homemade gunpowder, thermite, and a blow pipe. Examination of his mobile phone revealed alarming content, including a manifesto, searches on infamous mass killers, and guides for building bombs and remote detonators.
Detective Inspector Dave Rowlands of Staffordshire Police stated: “This was a deeply concerning case involving threats that understandably caused significant alarm to the students that Strang talked to and staff at the college. Thanks to the vigilance of the college’s students and staff and the swift actions of our officers, we were able to intervene quickly and prevent any potential harm.”
