Stables was initially arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill but the charge was later changed to preparing a terrorist act, with the defendant describing himself as a “nationalist” on Facebook and hitting out at the UK’s “totalitarian regime”. The venue was surrounded by armed police as officers spotted Stables walking towards his target from his flat on the evening of 23 June. Stables had already posted a photo of himself holding a machete and another taken from outside the The New Empire pub in Barrow showing it flying rainbow flags in preparation for the event.
