William Howitt, 27, who is on trial accused of writing a plan to burn down the Five Leaves bookshop in Nottingham
An ex-soldier accused of a far-right plot to set fire to a left-wing bookshop has told a jury of his struggles with his mental health, drinking and taking drugs. , took to the witness stand at Birmingham Crown Court.
Howitt told the jury how he struggled with his mental health since before leaving the Army, which led to him drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and taking cocaine. He said he had an “inferiority complex” after leaving the Armed Forces, partly due to his mental health, and becoming a crane driver instead.
When asked by his barrister John Lyons how much alcohol he was consuming by 2020, Howitt said he was drinking wine, cider or beer every day. When asked by Mr Lyons why he started drinking so much, Howitt responded: “My mental health. I was on my own a lot more, I went from the Army where I was always around people.
“It can either make you over-friendly or make you cross or angry. Generally it would make me feel both. You talk for the sake of talking. Anyone who has taken cocaine will know what I mean.”
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