An Iranian asylum seeker whose hatred of the police became an 'obsession' has been jailed for 20 years after stockpiling an arsenal of weapons to be used in an 'atrocity'.

Ashkan Ebrahimi, 33, was found in possession of police batons, crossbows, swords, knives, bomb-making ingredients and air rifles at his flat in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

The father-of-one 'stalked' police officers, a judge, a social worker and a solicitor after a 2014 domestic abuse investigation led to him becoming overwhelmed by his hatred for people in authority, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Ashkan Ebrahimi, 33, was found in possession of police batons, crossbows, swords, knives, bomb-making ingredients and air rifles at his flat in Halifax, West Yorkshire

His desire for revenge had been sparked by a domestic incident involving himself and his then-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his young child. Pictured: Ebrahimi in front of a swastika

The court heard during his trial how Ebrahimi, who is understood to have come to the country from Iran in 2009, turned his flat in Oak Lane, Halifax, into "the hub" of his hate campaign against those in authority who he felt had wronged him.

The Halifax Courier reports Ebrahimi had signed up to study GCSE science at Calderdale College a month before anti-terror officers found weapons and chemicals at his home.

The college had tipped police off after he showed an unusual interest in chemicals.

When his home was searched, he also had books and videos on how to produce a bomb, ball-bearings, handcuffs, listening devices and a bullet-proof vest.

Dafydd Enoch QC, prosecuting, said: 'He found out information about his targets, photographed their homes, followed them and made notes about them.

'Things were to escalate in a most serious way when his research began to extend to the subject of making bombs.'

He added: 'When you have heard all the evidence about this ladies and gentlemen, you will be left in no doubt that the defendant in this case is a very dangerous man who was not only thinking about hurting or killing people, but who was making real and focused preparations physically to action those thoughts.

'There are those who fantasise about extreme things in the privacy of their own bedroom, but this is not such a case as you will see. It is lucky that he was stopped before there was an atrocity.'

His desire for revenge had been sparked by a domestic incident involving himself and his then-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his young child.

Police were called and Ebrahimi was ultimately given a non-molestation order by a court.

He had researched 38 people, the court was told, most of them police officers.

Ebrahimi was found guilty of stalking, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of explosives with intent to endanger life

In a Facebook post, he had written: ‘Every single minute the hate is growing more and more...I haaaaaaaate the police that’s all I know in my life.’

Police also said he had driven to the addresses of some of his targets and photographed their homes.

Among the people he targeted was the solicitor who had represented his ex-girlfriend during the case relating to the domestic incident.

Ebrahimi was found guilty of stalking, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of explosives with intent to endanger life.

He represented himself, but refused to give evidence in his defence.

Last week, the Huddersfield Daily Examiner reported, he told the court: 'I wish I could give you everything I have, all my evidence, so you could see the whole picture. Not possible for me under the circumstances.'

The judge gave him a 20-year extended sentence, with a 15-year jail sentence and a five-year licence period.

Judge David Hatton QC said: ‘The alarm and distress caused to those who gained knowledge of your activities, and whom you were seemingly targeting, will have been immeasurable and their daily lives severely compromised.’

Detective Chief Inspector Warren Stevenson, who headed the investigation, said: ‘Ebrahimi is a very dangerous individual who posed a significant and very serious threat to police officers, police staff, solicitors and the judiciary.

‘He developed a deep seated and consuming hatred and loathing for people in authority, in the main police officers, and set about research and planning his limitless revenge against them.’

Ebrahimi was also given restraining orders banning him from contacting 15 people, visiting nine streets and from coming with 25 metres of a West Yorkshire police station.

He was also barred from contacting staff at Bradford Crown Court.