The judge described how the 18-year-old ‘worshipped’ serial killers and ‘wanted to be like them’
An 18-year-old has been jailed for three years and nine months after threatening to blow up a college.
Jagger Strang, of Stafford, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court following his earlier guilty pleas to seven separate offences. The charges included two counts of possession of an explosive substance, two counts of possession of information likely to be useful for terrorist purposes, making a threat to kill, threatening to destroy or damage property, and possession of a prohibited weapon in a private place.
The teenager entered his guilty pleas at Leicester Crown Court on May 6, the day his trial was scheduled to begin.
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The prosecution outlined a terrifying sequence of events that began in September 2025. Strang, who was 17 at the time and enrolled as a student at Stafford College, openly boasted to his peers that he had gathered numerous weapons and intended to detonate explosives on the college site.
Vigilant staff members and students immediately alerted a college safeguarding officer. Recognising the severity of the threat, the college contacted Staffordshire Police, who dispatched officers to Strang’s home address and arrested him that same afternoon.
During a forensic search of Strang’s property, investigators discovered a hazardous collection of chemical components alongside homemade explosive mixtures, including black powder and thermite – both fabricated directly by the teenager.
A blow pipe and other tactical paraphernalia were also uncovered at the address.
Specialist officers also seized and analysed Strang’s mobile phone. Digital forensic teams uncovered highly concerning materials, including a handwritten personal manifesto, detailed step-by-step instructions on manufacturing functioning bombs and remote detonators, and a recent internet search history dedicated entirely to notorious mass killers.
“This was an extremely concerning case involving a teenager with a clear and troubling fixation on violence,” Detective Inspector Dave Rowlands of Staffordshire Police said following the sentencing.
“The threats he made caused genuine fear among students and staff.”
Strang was remanded in custody immediately following his arrest in 2025 and remained detained until his sentencing hearing.
Law enforcement officials heavily praised the swift containment of the threat, highlighting that the decisive reporting by the college community likely averted a disaster.
“Thanks to the vigilance of the college community and the swift response from Staffordshire Police, we were able to intervene quickly and prevent any potential harm,” Detective Inspector Rowlands added. “We take all reports of this nature incredibly seriously.”





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