Accused teen says school massacre plot inspired by Columbine film

One of the teenagers accused of plotting a Columbine style school massacre in the UK has told a court that his interest in the school tragedy was sparked after watching a documentary made by Michael Moore.

The teenager, 18 year old Matthew Swift, said that his interest had began after watching the documentary 'Bowling for Columbine'. He believed that the killer, Eric Harris was "misunderstood". However, Swift has told Manchester Crown Court that his plot to stage a similar style massacre was just a "fantasy". Swift and his co-accused, Ross McKnight, 16, who is also his friend both deny conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions, BBC News reports. McKnight, a current pupil at Audenshaw High School in Greater Manchester, UK, and Swift, a former pupil there are both accused of plotting to attack the school on the tenth anniversary of the Columbine school massacre. The Columbine massacre took place on 20th April 1999. The shootings were carried out by Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. They murdered twelve students and one teacher. Swift is said to have become obsessed by the shootings in the US school, say prosecution. Giving evidence on Wednesday, Swift admitted his interest in the massacre had started while he began studying in his first year of A-Levels. He said, "We were shown a film called Bowling for Columbine, a documentary about that. "I sort of was interested in it after I watched that. "At the time I felt that maybe the lads were misunderstood or some other reason. "I started reading about it more and more and got very interested in Eric Harris's character." Swift's defence lawyer, Stephen Riordan QC asked him is he felt he had developed "more than an interest" in Eric Harris, to which Swift answered, "I suppose I felt to a point, I was imitating his character." He was also asked about the alleged plot to blow up the school, known as Project Rainbow, which was outlined in journals kept by Swift and McKnight. Swift told the jury, "It was a fantasy plan that developed from my interest in Eric Harris and Columbine. "The fantasy was, if something like that was to happen in Manchester and we were those characters, like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, how it would happen." The court was then informed that Matthew Swift never knew his father and his violent, alcoholic mother had died when he was ten. He lived with his grandparents. The jury was informed that at the age of seventeen, Swift was advised to take anti-depressants. However, Swift did not take his medication. Earlier in proceedings the court was told that Swift had attempted, through the Internet and through friends, to gain access to explosives. The accused denies ever having got hold of any chemicals. When asked by Stephen Riordan QC if he had ever attempted to obtain or indeed did obtain firearms Swift answered, "No." Riordan then asked, "When it came to Project Rainbow did you ever have any intention of carrying out the things you described?" Swift again answered, "No." The trial continues.