www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 20 October 2014 Issue 1296 Free
The Independent Voice of Newcastle Students
STREET ART SPECIAL Graffiti around town and
GOOD VIBES TWIN PEAKS RETURNS But why should you care? p.28
Est 1948
Why girls should celebrate masturbation p.14
Banksy’s return p.20-22
Bomb scare student jailed for making explosives in bedroom 19-year-old bought ingredients for £22 from Amazon
By Charlie Dearnley & Kate Dewey News Editors Vladimir Aust, a former Newcastle student from Russia, has been sentenced to two years in prison following the bomb scare in June at the INTO Language building. He pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to manufacturing the controlled substance hexamethylene triperoxidediamine (HMTD). During the trial, in which he appeared in court via videolink from Pentonville prison, Aust admitted to buying the required ingredients for HMTD off the website Amazon for £22. The chemical substance is triggered and can explode
if it is dropped, comes into contact with metal, or is exposed to sunlight. HMTD is the same chemical compound that was used in the London bombings on 7 July 2005 and is often used in the mining industry. Newcastle Crown Court heard that Aust had been “The court heard that Aust accessing vidhad been mix- eos on how to anufacture ing chemicals m HMTD, whilst in shared areas also accessing in the INTO Uni- The Anarchist’s versity halls” Cookbook on the internet. This is a
Claimed he didn’t know it was illegal
manual including advice from al-Qaeda, excerpts from the Mujahideen Poisons Book, and information on building improvised explosive devices. Aust was originally arrested on 10 June 2014 under anti terrorism provisions, although the court was told this no longer applied. During the trial it was revealed that Aust had mixed a variety of volatile chemicals in communal areas in the INTO building whilst on his laptop, as well as in his bedroom. Pictures have been released by the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) showing chemicals found in Aust’s room, a gas mask, electrical wiring and com-
Uni staff alerted Police when they found cache of knives
ponents, and knives that have been stabbed into a wooden board. A notebook containing the words “improvised explosive devices” was found alongside his belongings. Aust’s defence asserted that he did not know that what he was doing was “dangerous or illegal”, and that causing harm was “the last thing that he would have wanted”. Detective Chief superintendent Ian Wilson, Head of the North East CTU, issued a statement saying: “Vladimir Aust clearly had a growing fascination with chemicals and manufacturing them into explosives. Although there Continued on page 4
Charity football match raises £4500 in memory of Neil Dalton p. 3
Gender neutral toilets to be introduced By Will Ibbott
A new policy put in place by the Students’ Union will see the introduction of gender-neutral toilets in the Union and in faculties. A motion tabled by NUSU LGBT Officer Luke Allison was passed at SU Council, with 70% of councillors approving the idea. Allison argued that the introduction of gender-neutral toilets would do much to alleviate the anxiety and discomfort currently experienced by trans* students, where gendered toilets are concerned. Gender-neutral toilets are toilets which are specified for neither male nor female occupants, and their introduction is not limited to Newcastle University. This movement is following a progressive model which has been adopted by numerous universities across the UK. Allison hopes that by following this trend Newcastle will spread the example to other universities. NUSU have acknowledged that it is their duty to cater for all students, as outlined by the Equality Act 2010. They have also acknowledged that trans* students continue to face harassment and difficulty among the student community, with typically high dropout rates as a consequence of this. Research has shown that the UK universities to introduce gender-neutral toilets have been most successful in retaining trans* students, thus affirming their effectiveness. In his statement, Allison said his motion “was not a radical one” but would nonetheless make a radical difference to students Continued on page 5