CONVICTED terrorist Ethan Stables could face life imprisonment today after he was found him guilty of planning to massacre people at a LGBT event in Cumbria.

A jury of seven men and five women convicted Stables of preparing to commit acts of terrorism following his two-week trial at Leeds Crown Court

The 20-year-old, of Egerton Court, had denied the offence but had admitted a number of offences relating to possessing weapons, explosives and material useful to someone preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

Defence barrister Patrick Upward QC argued Stables was a "fantasist not a supremacist" who had only made threats to "slaughter" LGBT people at the New Empire in Barrow on June 23 of last year "to fit in" with his far right friends.

Stables told them in a Facebook group chat: "There's a pride night. I'm going to walk in with a machete and slaughter every single one of them."

When others in the group chat tried to dissuade him from his planned attack, Stables responded: "I don't care if I die. I'm fighting for what I believe in and that is the future of my country, my folk, and my race."

Others meanwhile, encouraged him by declaring the Nazi salute "Sieg Heil!"

One of the members of the chat, 17-year-old college student Julia Orchowska, reported Stables to the police.

Within four hours of making the threats, Stables was arrested by armed police in Michaelson Road, just yards away from the pub.

The shock twist in the trial came as Stables took to the stand when he declared he was bisexual.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford pointed out to the jury that this declaration only came after the trial had started last Monday.

Stables said this was because he was "embarrassed" of his sexuality but leading criminal psychiatrist Dr Martin Lock said he found Stables "was eager to talk" about his same-sex experiences.

Giving evidence, Stables said he had been walking towards the JobCentre to use the free wifi at the time of his arrest, but the jury had also seen CCTV footage from earlier that day which showed Stables peering inside the windows of the pub.

His defence team went into extensive detail about his medical history, including his diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder, which can affect an individual's communication skills and result in a lack of empathy.

However, separate psychiatric assessments of Stables, carried out during the seven months he has been in custody, both declared his Asperger Syndrome did not impair his ability to understand that people would take his threats seriously.

The jury had also seen lists of Google searches Stables had carried out including "how to be declared criminally insane".

Stables conducted lengthy research on explosives and weapons, including a copy of the Anarchy Cookbook, which gives instructions on how to make bombs.

Government explosives expert Sharon Broome told the jury that the "recipes" in the cookbook, along with match head composition found in Stables' flat, were credible and could be used to manufacture a bomb.

Stables had claimed the match heads were to be used to light a campfire and his interest in weapons stretched back to his childhood.

The jury disagreed and in reaching a guilty verdict ruled Stables was preparing to carry out the attack and wasn't "a fantasist who got carried away".

He will face life imprisonment when he returns to the court to be sentenced on Wednesday.