Norwegian teenage 'assassin recruited to come to UK to carry out a murder says he picked up guns so his girlfriend would think he was cool'

Published: 17:13, 12 June 2026 | Updated: 17:16, 12 June 2026 A Norwegian teenager agreed to a hit job in the UK for an Iran-backed gang because he wanted his girlfriend to think he was 'cool', a court heard. Johannes Natland, 18 at the time, flew from Norway to Britain on 'a crazy mission' on March 17 last year, but was thwarted when he was arrested in a hotel room in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, two days later. Police found a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver and 12 rounds of live ammunition in his possession, as well as £2,000 in cash, the court heard. He 'neither knew, nor cared', who the target was, it is alleged. The jury has been shown messages in which Natland told his ex-girlfriend, Sara Solbi, 19, that he was going on 'a crazy mission' and had 'wild information to share'. Johannes Natland, 19, travelled from the oil-rich town of Stavanger, south west Norway, to assassinate a target in the UK 'in return for money', the Old Bailey was told Ms Solbi has previously told the court that Natland said to her: 'Now I can finally kill someone and it's perfect. I get money to do it, I can kill someone and life will be wonderful.' But Natland, now 19, has denied that he intended to go through with the plot, claiming he planned to shoot himself in the foot to sabotage the mission at the last minute. Giving evidence today, Natland said he wanted to give the impression that he was going to carry out the hit so that his girlfriend and others would 'think I was this cool guy that's been picked out for this'. 'I just wanted to be someone,' he added. But he said this desire would not have been enough to make him 'pull the trigger'. The court heard that when Natland arrived in Huddersfield, he sent Ms Solbi a photo of him smiling, wearing protective gloves and holding a gun with the message: 'Soon it will happen.' The pair had known each other since they were children but both had struggled with drug abuse during their adolescence, the jury was told. Natland said he never intended to go through with the plot but wanted his girlfriend, Sara Solbi, 19, (pictured) to believe he would so she would think he was 'cool' Natland was expecting to be paid more than £20,000 for the job by the Swedish Foxtrot Network, an organised crime group backed by the Iranian regime and sanctioned by the US and UK. The defendant told the court he did not know who the target of the planned assassination was. 'I did not know who, when, where or anything else,' he said. He denied he was excited by the plan. Prosecutor Alistair Richardson said: 'You had two firearms, and at least two rounds of live ammunition, it was all very real wasn't it?' When asked by Mr Richardson if he 'knew' or 'cared' who he was going to kill, Natland answered: 'I was not gonna kill anyone, especially not someone I'd never met. I'm not a guy you need to worry, I'm gonna rob you or rob your grandma or break into your home. 'So to think I'd suddenly take that step up and come to England and shoot someone, knowing me, even then, it's ridiculous.' Natland said he bought some drugs in his first week at HMP Belmarsh after his arrest but has not done so since. He has admitted possession of the two firearms and ammunition but denies conspiracy to murder. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.