Teen Hacker Claims "Not A Violent Guy" Amid Murder Plot

Johannes Natland, a 19-year-old Norwegian, is on trial at the Old Bailey in London, accused of plotting a murder in the UK for a Swedish organized crime group with alleged links to Iran. Natland denies conspiracy to murder but admits to possessing two handguns and ammunition. He testified that he is not a violent person and had no intention of killing anyone, particularly someone he had never met. He claimed he agreed to travel to England for the supposed hit but had no intention of carrying it out.

Natland was apprehended by armed officers in a hotel in Huddersfield on March 19, 2025, two days after arriving in the UK. He informed the court that he received the message seeking someone for a "shooting in England" through an acquaintance from a home for troubled teenagers he had attended in Norway. Following a drug-induced psychosis that led to hospitalization in Norway, he had spent time in such facilities. He also admitted to trying drugs in prison in England during his first week.

Initially, Natland’s defence stated he was involved in drug transportation, not a murder plot. He has since recanted this, admitting most of his statement was a lie and that he "came to his senses." He told the jury he decided to shoot himself in the foot as he was too scared to tell the organizers he wanted to pull out of the plan. He described the arresting officers as his "saviours" for preventing him from harming himself. The trial is anticipated to conclude the following week.