An 18-year-old Wandsworth man has been convicted of manufacturing a collection of improvised explosives and firearms from his bedroom, following a years-long obsession with weapons that police discovered only after responding to a domestic assault.
Sakhile Ntsele of Wandsworth Road was convicted on Monday of 14 counts including making explosive substances and possessing firearms. Police recovered seven improvised explosive devices and five firearms with ammunition when they searched his bedroom in October 2024. Sentencing is scheduled for February 2026.
The discovery came after officers responded to reports that Ntsele had assaulted a family member by squirting antibacterial cleaner in his face, then attempted to attack them with a homemade sword fashioned from a thin metal bar. A firearms recovery dog subsequently found the weapons cache hidden in his bedroom.
Years of self-taught weapons manufacturing
The investigation revealed Ntsele had spent hundreds of hours watching online videos about making shotgun shells and building homemade weapons. His phone search history showed he viewed weapons content almost daily while purchasing materials including steel balls and potassium nitrate using pseudonyms and a relative’s credit card.
In May 2024, Ntsele had sent videos to a friend showing a gun he had made from wooden panels and iron pipes. When tested by police, the weapon was found to be functioning and capable of causing serious harm.
Police analytical work revealed the intensity of his obsession. Ntsele had manipulated those around him to prevent detection – his family were unaware of the disturbing material he was viewing or the weapons he was manufacturing.
Previous arrest at age 14
The conviction follows an earlier incident in December 2021 when Ntsele, then 14, was arrested while in possession of 55 rounds of ammunition, some of which he had attempted to adapt by inserting nails within the cartridges. That case was discontinued in March 2023.
Following the 2024 arrest, the lead detective worked to have the 2021 charges reinstated and added to the investigation.
Ntsele was arrested on 27 October 2024 and initially charged with threatening a person with an offensive weapon and threats to kill. After testing confirmed the viability of the recovered firearms, he faced 26 further charges including eight counts of possession of explosive substances with intent to endanger life, eight counts of making explosive substances for unlawful purpose, and five counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
On 24 November, he pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition without a certificate and five counts of possession of a firearm without a certificate. Following an 11-day trial that concluded on 8 December, the jury found him guilty of eight counts of making explosive substances for unlawful purposes. He was found not guilty on remaining counts relating to intent to endanger life.
Police warning on online content
Detective Inspector Raymond Sekalongo, who led the investigation, said the case highlighted the accessibility of dangerous material available to young people online.
“This was a complex case involving a young man who was completely obsessed with weapons and firearms,” Sekalongo said. “His obsession continued to grow alongside a self-taught expertise of crafting weapons and our investigation found he was watching videos about weapons almost on a daily basis.”
He urged parents to be aware of what their children access online to prevent them entering dangerous spaces where they could be influenced into criminality.
“We cannot speculate what Ntsele was capable of however the work of our investigation team has ensured that he will not be able to cause harm to anyone,” Sekalongo said.
