Bristol teenager facing jail for attempted murder after axe attack

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March 25, 2026
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A teenager from Bedminster is facing jail after pleading guilty to attempted murder, as a judge is scheduled to decide whether she had a terrorist motive in carrying out the attack.

Alina Burns was 18 when she left her home in Lynton Road, Bedminster, and went to East Street on Saturday, August 2 last year.

She was armed with an axe and a scalpel, walked up to a Kurdish man from Iran called Mohammed Mahmoodi, who was standing outside BHK Barbers in East Street, and without warning swung the axe at his neck.

Luckily, he ducked and managed to disarm her after she swung a second time, and police arrived to arrest her. He received injuries, but they were not life-threatening.

What was Burns charged with?

Burns was charged with six different offences in initial court hearings at the Old Bailey in London, and more recently at Bristol Crown Court.

Count 1 – That on or before the August 2, 2025, she prepared and intended to carry out acts of terrorism.

That preparation included buying an axe, getting a scalpel and two darts, and conducting research into an appropriate target and possible methods of attack.

Count 2 – Attempted murder of Mr Mahmoodi

Count 3 – Attempted GBH of Mr Mahmoodi

Count 4 – Possession of an axe

Count 5 – Possession of a scalpel

Count 6 – Possession of two darts.

At an earlier hearing in Bristol, Burns pleaded guilty to counts 2, 4, 5 and 6, but pleaded ‘not guilty’ to count 1, which means Burns has now been convicted of attempted murder in relation to the attack.

After a hearing last week at Bristol Crown Court, the Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed that they offered no evidence for counts one and three, and formal ‘not guilty’ verdicts were recorded.

The court heard legal arguments between the prosecution and defence as to whether or not there was a terrorism element to the attempted murder – something which could impact the sentence the judge hands down at the next hearing on May 15.

The judge reserved judgement on that point, and a ruling is expected in the next few days.

Bristol Post

Men admit violent disorder outside asylum hotel

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March 23, 2026
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Two men have admitted violent disorder during a protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Essex.

Shaun Thompson, 38, and Luke Fleming, 21, “used or threatened unlawful violence” near The Bell Hotel in Epping on 17 July, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

Protests were staged there during the summer after a migrant living at the hotel was charged with and later jailed for sexual offences.

Fleming, from Thaxted Road in Buckhurst Hill, and Thompson, from Buckingham Road in Epping, will be sentenced at a later date.

Thompson had already admitted criminally damaging a police vehicle by punching it at a previous hearing.

Fireworks were let off and eggs were thrown at police officers and at the hotel on 17 July, Essex Police said at the time.

It described the protest initially being “peaceful” before disorder broke out among some.

At least eight of its officers were injured that evening, the force also said.

Thompson and Fleming were released on bail ahead of their sentencing.

BBC News

Rioter jailed for attacking police at asylum hotel

By
March 10, 2026
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A man who attacked police officers during violent disorder outside a hotel being used to house asylum seekers has been jailed.

Darren Ward, 55, was filmed “aggressively pushing officers and displaying threatening behaviour” at the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, on 4 August 2024.

Three months after the disorder he handed himself in at Barnsley police station, after he was pictured in an appeal showing “perpetrators of the violence”, South Yorkshire Police said.

At Sheffield Crown Court on Monday Ward, of Norville Crescent, Barnsley, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and was jailed for 20 months.

Ward did not provide an explanation for his conduct during police interviews.

BBC News

Nazi-obsessed man who hoarded 600 weapons in court on terror offences

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March 9, 2026
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Paul Page, from Littleport in Cambridgeshire, was described as having a Nazi ‘fascination’ after police discovered his home brimming with memorabilia and 600 weapons

A weapons-obsessed man with a fascination for Nazi Germany has pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offences.

Paul Page, 52, of Littleport, Cambridgeshire, was found to have collected more than 600 weapons including landmines, grenades, rifles and ammunition, police said.

The Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) said Page also had explosive substances and guides and manuals on how to produce explosives and manufacture firearms.

When his home in Littleport, Cambridgeshire, was raided by police, officers found it was decked head-to-toe in Nazi memorabilia, including Second World War weapons, chemicals, and Swastika flags.

In 2023, Cambridgeshire Police officers had been investigating reports that Page had downloaded child abuse images. During a search of his home they discovered Nazi flags, Second World War weapons and chemicals.

The unrelated child abuse investigation by Cambridgeshire Police uncovered more than 250 illegal images on Page’s devices. In August 2023, he was jailed for 20 months after admitting three charges of making indecent images of children.

A separate further investigation was then led by ERSOU into items recovered from an outbuilding at Page’s address. Detectives from ERSOU’s Counter Terrorism Policing unit established Page had collected more than 600 weapons and other militaria linked to Nazi activity during the war.

Police said although much of this was legal memorabilia, he was in possession of prohibited items including landmines, grenades, rifles and ammunition.

A book was seized containing instructions on how to produce a sub-machine gun, and component parts of firearms, bullet casings and shells were recovered.

There were also several chemicals that – if combined – were precursor materials useful for the manufacture of explosives. Page had also downloaded a banned document containing instructions to make viable explosives.

ERSOU said that throughout police interviews Page denied holding an extreme right-wing mindset, despite having an email address which referenced numbers associated with Adolf Hitler and a tattoo linked to white supremacy.

He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Monday to a series of offences including two counts of possessing a document or record likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, ERSOU said.

Page also admitted two counts of possessing an explosive substance, four counts of possessing a firearm without a certificate, two counts related to the possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of prohibited ammunition and possession of ammunition without a certificate.

Hannah Wilkinson, head of ERSOU, said: “Throughout our investigation, it was clear that Page had a fascination with Nazi Germany and World War Two, the clearest indication being the flags draped in his outbuilding.

“Of real concern to us was the combination of dangerous chemicals, the banned documents on how to create firearms and explosives, and Page’s clear obsession with weapons.

“Working closely with force colleagues in Cambridgeshire, our teams seized a significant amount of physical and digital materials which were examined by experts and identified to be a severe risk.

“Our specialist teams are dedicated to tackling the threat of terrorism in the eastern region, and I’m thankful for all their work throughout this investigation.” Page was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on May 1.

Daily Mirror

Anti-immigration protest organiser fined for threatening police officer

By
March 6, 2026
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The incident happened at a protest in Falkirk in December.

A father who organised anti-immigration protests has been fined £540 for threatening a police officer at one of the events.

Connor Graham, 28, previously admitted acting in an aggressive manner, shouting, swearing and uttering threatening and derogatory remarks towards Pc Nathan Wilson who was on duty.

The incident happened on December 6 last year outside Hotel Cladhan on Kemper Avenue in Falkirk.

Graham pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards the officer in an offence that was “aggravated by prejudice relating to disability”.

Fiscal Depute Karen Chambers told the court that the incident happened at around 1pm while a demonstration was taking place outside the hotel.

She told the court: “The accused approached the police officer and appeared to be trying to pass through a gap.

“Mr Graham became aggressive and shouted: ‘F*** off and stop pushing me.’”

Ms Chambers said Graham made a disablist insult towards the officer.

She told the court: “Mr Graham attended at a police station on December 11. His reply to the charge was ‘my hands are up, I’m guilty of that. Ultimately it should not have happened’”.

Graham, a father of two, was the organiser of the Save Our Futures & Our Kids Futures (SOF) group which last year started protests outside the Cladhan Hotel, which is used to house asylum seekers.

Simon Hutchison, representing Graham, said that the 28-year-old had set up the protests because he had concerns about public safety relating to immigration and wanted to “bring these concerns to the public”.

Sheriff William Gilchrist fined Graham £540 when he appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court for sentencing on Friday.

He told him: “It’s somewhat ironic that your motivation for being there was a concern about public safety.

“You have an extensive record yourself. You seem to be the risk to your community rather than the individuals residing in this hotel.”

Mr Hutchison said that on the day of the incident Graham was unhappy that he had been cordoned off by police with people including someone who he believed had been abusing him online.

He told the court: “Unfortunately what happened at the protests was they were hijacked by far right individuals who were there for their own benefits.

“He tried on numerous occasions to stop these people coming but there was nothing he could do about it.

“His personal safety was compromised and this led to him disbanding the organisation and he is no longer involved.”

Mr Hutchison said Graham was “very very sorry” about the incident where he threatened the police officer.

In January the group announced it would no longer attend any Hotel Cladhan protests.

In a message on its Facebook page, the group said all future demonstrations “organised or attended under SOF” have been cancelled after they attracted “genuinely racist groups”.

Speaking after he was sentenced, Graham said: “If somebody commits a crime they should be dealt with and punished. I did make a mistake on the day.”

However he said he is now a “changed man, an upstanding citizen in this community”.

Evening Standard

Man jailed for three years for terrorism offences

By
March 1, 2026
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A man has been sentenced to three years and four months’ imprisonment for terrorism offences.

Nicholas Gilpin, 23, had “an extreme right-wing mindset” and had shared “racist, antisemitic and white supremacy views” with others, Thames Valley Police said.

Gilpin, of Dippingwell Court, Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, was sentenced on Thursday at Woolwich Crown Court after being found guilty in October following a four-week trial.

Gilpin was convicted of four counts of possessing terrorist information, contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000, one count of encouragement of terrorism, contrary to section one of the Terrorism Act 2006, and two counts of stirring up racial hatred.

He was arrested and his electronic devices were seized at a property near Hereford on 18 October 2021 by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE).

Following examination of Gilpin’s devices, documents containing racist and antisemitic rhetoric were found along with instructions on how to kill people with close combat weapons, details on how to use weapons and make explosives, chemical weapons and firearms, the court heard.

Gilpin was found to have distributed videos and written material on the Telegram messaging app that intended to stir up racial hatred or was likely to do so.

On 16 March 2021, Gilpin published a statement on the same online app to encourage terrorism.

He was charged in connection with the offences on 20 January 2023.

Ch Supt Claire Finlay, the had of CTPSE, said: “From our investigation it is clear that Gilpin held an extreme right-wing ideology – sharing his racist and antisemitic views with others online – and was in possession of terrorist documents which had the sole aim of causing harm to our society.”

BBC News

County Durham man admits violent disorder in Middlesbrough

By
February 25, 2026
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A man who has pleaded guilty to his role in the violent disorder that caused chaos in a North East town centre will have to wait to be sentenced.

A judge ordered a medical report to be compiled on Andrew Grieves to assess whether he has a diagnosed learning disability.

The 24-year-old became embroiled in the rioting that broke out in Middlesbrough following the death of three young girls in Southport in the summer of 2024.

Teesside Crown Court heard how further medical reports would be required before the defendant could be sentenced.

Gary Wood, representing Grieves, said his client was taken out of mainstream education as a teenager due to his learning difficulties.

He urged the judge to adjourn sentencing to allow time for a psychological report to be compiled on the defendant.

Grieves, of Acorn Close, Sacriston, County Durham, pleaded guilty to violent disorder in Middlesbrough on August 4, 2024.

Judge Richard Bennett adjourned sentencing until April 27 to allow time for the report to be completed.

He said: “I had intended to sentence you today, but I have read conflicting information,” he said.

“In your pre-sentence report it suggests that you have a learning disability but in the psychiatric report, the doctor suggests the position may not be as difficult.

“I need that sorting out. I need to know precisely what it is and I can’t sentence you until I know that.

“I can’t tell you what your fate will be but I can tell you it crosses the custody threshold and it will be decided at the next hearing whether you serve that sentence or whether I am able to suspend it.”

Grieves was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing.

Northern Echo

Dad spat at police and hurled brick after getting ‘caught up’ in Hanley riot

By
February 23, 2026
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You joined in with wanton mob violence… it was despicable behaviour’

Dad Liam Curwen spat at officers and threw a brick towards the police line during the violent disorder in Hanley.

The 32-year-old was part of a mob which walked towards the police line on Town Road on August 3, 2024, just days after three girls were murdered in a Southport dance studio.

He spat towards the police line and threw a brick which hit an officer’s shield. Now Curwen has been jailed for 27 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Barry White said the defendant was seen to leave Hanley Bus Station and walk past The Albion pub towards the city centre on the day of the disorder. He joined a group on Town Road. Mr White said: “He and others walked towards the police line. The defendant had his right hand raised. He appeared agitated and angry.

He spat towards the police line. He continued shouting and pointing at the police line. He moved towards police holding a brick in his right hand, having picked up a paving block. He threw it. It hit a shield in the police line. He went back to the city centre. He covered his face.”

The defendant was arrested on January 24, 2025. He answered no comment to questions in his police interview. Curwen, of Murhall Street, Burslem, later pleaded guilty to violent disorder. Debbie Leadbeater, mitigating, said Curwen is remorseful. Miss Leadbeater said: “He was meeting a friend and got caught up in the group activity. He and his partner are carers for their children.

“There is a very good chance of rehabilitation in his case. I hope you will consider a suspended sentence. He needs further assistance in how to cope with things when they are getting out of control. The work that could be done with probation could ensure he does not appear before the courts in the future.”

Recorder Robert Smith said: “You and members of your group walked towards the police line. You spat towards police on the police line. You ran towards police holding a brick. You are shown on a video to pick up paving bricks. You threw a brick at the police, hitting a riot shield of an officer in the police line.

“I accept any imprisonment would adversley effect your partner and children. You should have thought about that before you involved yourself in a large-scale violent disorder. You participated, spitting at officer, wielding a brick and throwing a brick at the police line.

“What you did was not a peaceful protest. You joined in with wanton mob violence. It was despicable behaviour. I cannot and will not suspend the sentence.”

Stoke Sentinel

Teen guilty of belonging to banned neo-Nazi group

By
February 23, 2026
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A 16-year-old boy from Northumberland has been found guilty of being part of a banned neo-Nazi organisation.

A jury at Leeds Crown Court unanimously convicted him of membership of the paramilitary group The Base, as well as possessing and sharing terror publications.

They were unable to reach a decision on the most serious allegation he faced – that he was preparing acts of terrorism – and the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it would not seek a retrial.

The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, will be sentenced on 27 March.

Counter terror police raided the teenager’s home last February and said it discovered an “arsenal” of weapons, including a crossbow, knives and a gas-powered air pistol.

The jury were shown images of the boy’s bedroom where police found a replica Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS)-style cap, a full-sized skeleton with a mask, and posters relating to The Base.

The defence had told jurors the boy denied “he ever actually intended to carry out any act of terrorism” and they needed to consider his life experience.

Police said the teenager, who was 15 at the time he was arrested, was part of extreme right-wing online chat groups on platforms such as Telegram, Snapchat, TikTok and Wire.

Det Ch Supt James Dunkerley, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “This case provides a stark reminder around the dangers of extreme content online that is accessible to the public and how individuals can be drawn into serious offending.”

The defendant told the court he created an online persona to escape reality and his use of online platforms and social media escalated through his childhood.

The jury heard the banned group the boy joined, The Base, believed in race war and wanted to bring about the collapse of society to create a “white supremacist utopia”.

Steven Rai, from research and advocacy group Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said it was not the only case of a minor being connected with the organisation, with young people also being arrested in Italy and the Netherlands for membership.

He said: “I think it is a very alarming sign of how youth are being increasingly drawn to some of these extremist networks.”

BBC News

‘Nasty’ councillor jailed for coercive behaviour

By
February 23, 2026
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A Kent county councillor has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after admitting behaving in a controlling or coercive way towards his wife.

Daniel Taylor, 35, from Margate was jailed at Margate Magistrates Court on Friday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.

Reform UK suspended the councillor shortly after he won the Cliftonville ward for the party in May, and he has sat as an independent since.

Magistrate Mark Nieman told Taylor he was “a man who can be charming and pleasant, but you can be nasty and violent”.

The court heard Taylor had shown controlling behaviour since 2014 and according to friends he was constantly putting his wife down and accusing her of cheating.

He demanded to look though her phone, isolated her from her friends and told her she was mentally unwell because she accused him of being controlling, the court was told.

The prosecution said Taylor had told his wife he would hunt her like prey and kill her, and that he would “put you in the boot and set fire to the car”.

The court heard he did not intend to carry out the threats.

Taylor argued with the magistrate during sentencing.

He was brought to court from custody wearing prison-issue clothing after he was found to have breached his bail conditions.

The magistrate said: “You’ve shown complete disregard of the entire process, and it would be wholly unsuitable to put you back into the community at this time.”

Taylor has lost his seat on Kent County Council following the sentence and the local authority said a by-election would be held in Cliftonville within 35 working days.

Labour MP Polly Billington, who represents East Thanet, said the case “points to the fact that Reform UK do not take vetting of their candidates seriously”.

A Reform UK spokesperson said there was “no place in Reform for those who perpetrate violence against women and girls” and that the party had expelled Taylor after he pleaded guilty.

BBC News