Terror-accused cadet 'planned to ruin prom'

A teenage Army cadet accused of possessing bomb‑making guides and extremist content threatened to "ruin prom" after a girl rejected him, jurors have heard.

The Old Bailey was told that Dihan Rahman, now 19, had an interest in violence linked to extreme right‑wing ideology, misogyny and Islamic extremism.

He has admitted stalking two girls and a female teacher who discovered concerning images on his mobile phone.

Rahman, from west London, denies six charges of possessing documents and videos likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Prosecutor Serena Gates KC said problems began in 2023 after Rahman joined a new school and Army cadet programme.

After a 16-year-old girl rejected his advances, he began sending her abusive messages, jurors were told.

On Valentine's Day 2024, he allegedly messaged a derogatory comment to her and tried to call her before she blocked him on WhatsApp.

The girl later noticed Rahman taking photographs of her and her friends, and he started to flood her social media accounts, the court heard.

He was subsequently banned from the cadet base, after which he allegedly posted on Snapchat and TikTok that he planned to "ruin prom".

One post allegedly included images of the venue and a photograph of a German Nazi soldier in a forest holding a gun.

The organisers then changed the prom venue as a precaution, the court heard.

Rahman's friendship with another girl deteriorated in early 2024 after he made comments about her weight on Snapchat, which led to his suspension from school for two days.

A female teacher described Rahman as "socially awkward" but said she had no issues with him before these incidents.

She confiscated his phone after reports that he had been taking photographs of girls at school, the court was told.

On the device, she saw an image of Rahman in his cadet uniform holding a noose.

When she briefly left the room, she said she returned to find him deleting images.

She confiscated the phone again and allegedly saw a picture of Rahman with a headscarf around his face with text reading: "Who's in for a Valentines school shooting".

The jury was shown photographs of Rahman in military clothing giving a Nazi salute and holding a green cord tied into a noose.

Rahman was arrested at his home on 15 March 2024 and released on police bail on condition that he stayed away from the girls. He allegedly failed to do so.

In November 2025, he was arrested again.

An examination of his laptop allegedly revealed he had made 83 online searches for the first girl that month. He was remanded in custody.

Investigators also found that documents about both girls had been posted online, including details about their families and social media accounts, and describing them as a "danger to males", jurors were told.

Rahman had also made official complaints against the teacher who confiscated his phone by pretending to be his own father.

He is accused of possessing instructional videos and documents about making bombs and improvised munitions.

Rahman has admitted having the material but claims he did not know it contained information useful for terrorism and that it was for "research".

The trial continues.

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