An alleged neo-Nazi planned to kill a solicitor in a terrorist plot to "intimidate" immigrants, a court has heard.
Cavan Medlock is alleged to have arrived at the Duncan Lewis law firm in Harrow on September 7, 2020, armed with a combat knife and handcuffs, while carrying large Confederate and Nazi flags.
The 31-year-old threatened a receptionist with the knife before threatening to kill solicitor Toufique Hossain and abusing two other members of staff because of their racial or religious background, Kingston Crown Court has heard.
Medlock, of Harrow in north-west London, appeared in the dock at the court wearing a blue top for the beginning of the trial on Monday.
He denies charges of making a threat to kill Mr Hossain and the preparation of terrorist acts.
The court heard that Medlock, wearing black gloves with reinforced knuckle pads, advanced on receptionist Ravindran Tharmalangam at the law firm while holding a knife and demanding to see Mr Hossain.
Prosecutor Timothy Cray KC said Mr Tharmalangam with "great bravery" grabbed hold of Medlock and managed to disarm him by kicking the knife away.
While other staff members helped restrain Medlock, Mr Hossain then came to the reception area and Medlock said to his face that he "had planned to kill him", the court heard.
Opening the case on Monday, Mr Cray said: "He said this because his firm, Duncan Lewis, had helped immigrants come to the United Kingdom and according to the defendant such immigrants were not welcome 'here'.
"He repeated the threats to Mr Hossain's face, saying that he had come to the office to kill him."
Mr Cray added: "We say that the plan was plainly designed to intimidate anyone who is an immigrant to this country."
He said Medlock "identified as a Nazi, believing Hitler was right", adding that the political ideology espoused by him was "racist to its core".
The court heard that in police interviews which began on September 8 2020, Medlock denied intending to kill Mr Hossain, instead saying he wanted to take him hostage by threatening him with the knife and putting him in handcuffs.
In the interviews, Medlock said he took the 5ft by 3ft Confederate battle flag, often associated with slavery, and the Nazi swastika of the same size to display as a "rallying call".
He added that he wanted to "inspire other Nationalists" to "push back" against supporters of Black Lives Matter and "people who are tearing down our statues", the court heard.
A phone seized from Medlock shows that he had conducted research on the solicitor and read a newspaper article which named Mr Hossain as a lawyer who was assisting immigrants, the court heard.
The trial continues.
