A mentally unstable university student posted a disturbing video on social media threatening “campus mass genocide” on Halloween, a court heard.

Jacob Reid also made threats about wanting to slit students’ throats at the University of Kent’s Medway campus for “maximum impact” before taking his own life.

The 21-year-old Hitler fanatic, who told one student he wanted people gassed, claimed his fantasy was to sleep with a girl and then kill her.

But Reid, who was studying sports therapy, walked free after serving a year in custody on remand and undergoing psychiatric assessments.

He was given a two-year community order with a mental health treatment requirement,

A judge said although the threats were “sinister, frightening and unsettling”, they were made when Reid’s mental health had de-stabilised and were not intended.

Maidstone Crown Court was told Reid’s threats were reported to the head of campus, who informed the police.

Prosecutor Mary Jacobson said they were first made to the Medway university resident support officer in October last year.

Reid, who was staying in student accommodation at Liberty Quays in Gillingham, had been diagnosed with psychosis but would not take his medication.

During a visit to the officer’s room, she noticed he had the Nazi symbol written on his arm.

“Reid told her he admired Hitler as he had been able to persuade people to kill others, and he said he wanted everyone put in a gas chamber,” said Miss Jacobson.

“He said he heard voices and had two parts to his personality. He was very matter of fact when he was relating all this to (the officer).”

A few days later he threatened the mass killing on campus.

“He told her he would kill everyone at Liberty Quays and would do so for maximum impact,” said Miss Jacobson.

“He described he would be walking around and slitting people’s throats. He then went on to say he hated all females and would slit their throats. Miss Bell took this seriously.”

He repeated the threats to a girl friend.

“He told her he wanted to kill everyone on campus, it would be on Halloween and he had ordered a knife on the internet and would go from block to block, leaving his own accommodation block until last,” continued Miss Jacobson.

“(The girl) was very concerned about his mental stability. He said he would rather die than be sectioned and would commit suicide after carrying out what he called a mass genocide.”

He posted the video on Snapchat on Halloween.

The university head of campus and police were informed that night and Reid was arrested a few hours later.

A search of his room revealed hand-written notes stating “smoke billows out of empty eye sockets” and a drawing of a gun pointing a gun at a face with the words, “don’t, don’t”.

“The police were concerned he was preparing to carry out his threats and that he had stated his intent by way of that video on Snapchat. The police viewed his threats as real.”

Reid, of Ivy Lane, Newton, Milton Keynes, admitted three offences of making threats to kill.

He will have to undergo mental health treatment for the next two years and complete 50 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

Judge Julian Smith said it was in both in the interests of Reid and society that his psychiatric treatment be ongoing.

Two psychiatrists concluded Reid, who suffers from an emotionally unstable personality disorder, was not dangerous.

Judge Smith said the intelligent student made a promising start at university until difficulties in his relationship with his father and anxiety over his mother’s poor health led to his life going “extraordinarily, spectacularly and desperately” wrong.

“So unusual was your offending - and by unusual I mean sinister, frightening, unsettling and at a time in this world when offences of this character would cause anybody to feel particular alarm and concern - the assessment of your mental state and any risk was absolutely essential.

“You expressed threats to those you knew, intending that they should believe those threats and you were a risk to all of your year and fellow students.

“The threats suggested a considered and deliberate intent to harm with a deliberate course of conduct, moving from place to place attacking individuals.

“Although you could have been a profound danger if this had been real, the way you were expressing it was difficult to fathom and owed more to a de-stabilised mental state than a clearly formulated plan.

“There was no knife, there were no plans behind the threats you were making.”

Judge Smith added that while such threats - if real - demanded prison, he could take an exceptional course.