Reece Elliott admits US death threats on Facebook Published duration 26 April 2013

A British man has admitted threatening to kill 200 people in the US in posts he made under a false name on Facebook.

Reece Elliott, 24, of Foss Way, South Shields, made the threat in February on a memorial page to a Tennessee girl who was killed in a car crash.

About 3,000 pupils in the Warren County area missed school the next day because of the posts.

Elliott pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court and was remanded in custody to be sentenced in June.

Judge James Goss QC said a prison sentence was "inevitable".

'200 people minimum'

The court heard how using a false name, he wrote on the RIP Caitlin Talley page: "My father has three guns. I'm planning on killing him first and putting him in a dumpster.

"Then I'm taking the motor and I'm going in fast. I'm gonna kill hopefully at least 200 before I kill myself.

"So you want to tell the deputy, I'm on my way. I'm killing 200 people minimum at school. I will be on CNN."

Elliott referred to himself as a "part-time troll" and said he wanted to post "offensive" comments to see what kind of reaction he could "provoke".

The term 'troll' is used on the internet to describe someone who deliberately posts contentious and inflammatory remarks online in order to provoke others.

These remarks can be on internet forums, chat rooms or in comments on blogs.

Elliott admitted one count of making a threat to kill and eight counts of sending grossly offensive messages.