Billy Charlton jailed for distributing image of child performing sex act with animal

By
February 3, 2022
Uncategorized

A hate speaker who was jailed over a series of public protests against sex offenders has been locked up after distributing a video of a child having intercourse with an animal over WhatsApp.

William Charlton, known as Billy, was given a prison sentence in 2019 over speeches he gave at a series of planned demonstrations in Sunderland.

Charlton was jailed for 21 months in September 2019 and was told by the judge he was “an intelligent, articulate, skilled public speaker but also a manipulator and bully” who had caused a “toxic atmosphere” in the city.

By that time, police had already seized his phone after a video had been found, that he had sent to another man who had been arrested for an unrelated matter, which featured a child engaged in a sex act with an animal.

Charlton was convicted by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court last summer of sending the video clip to over 40 of his contacts over WhatsApp.

The 57-year-old had insisted he did not view the 18 second video, which featured a boy aged between 10-14 with the animal, before he forwarded it on and had no reason to suspect its contents were illegal.

Prosecutor Ian West told the court today: “There is no suggestion he is a paedophile or gained any sexual gratification from watching or distributing theimage, nor did he intend any of the recipients to receive sexual gratification from it.

“He just has, it seems, a sick sense of humour.”

Charlton, of Sidmouth Road, Gateshead, was convicted of distributing a Category A image of a child.

He had also admitted possessing extreme pornography in relation to an image involving an adult female engaging in sexual activity with an animal.

And he had also pleaded guilty to another offence of extreme pornography, again involving an adult.

Judge Sarah Mallett today jailed Charlton for a total of three years and said he must sign the sex offenders register for life.

The judge told him: “It is accepted by the prosecution you did not have any sexual motivation in distributing the image and that is one of the factors I have to consider.”

But the judge said any distribution of such image risks “potential exposure to a large number of people” and the fact the video was already in the public domain was no consolation to the child featured in it.

Judge Mallett said Charlton has been assessed as “unlikely to engage mindfully in offence focused work” with the probation service and has “not proved to be susceptible to changing views”.

The judge said Charlton has a “very limited prospect of rehabilitation” in the community.

During his trial last summer, Charlton told jurors he would regularly receive and send “daft jokes” over the messaging app on his phone and did not alwayswatch them.

He added: “It was just daft joke messages, things like that, you know what I mean.

“I would just forward them on, not even thinking about it most of the time.”

Charlton insisted he had not watched the video featuring the animal and child, that he had received from someone else.

He added: “It wasn’t something I would expect from him.

“He knows if he sent me images of children I would kick off with him, as I would anyone else.”

Charlton told jurors he is a “proud father and grandfather” and would receive and send messages thinking they were “daft jokes”.

He added: “Now, being branded a paedo over a stupid video I’ve never even seen, I would tell all my friends and family, get off it all.

“If you send something and you are not aware of it, you could be sitting here.”

His barrister Chrisopher Rose told the court today Charlton had a “crass, indifferent” attitude to the image and there was no sexual motivation behindthe offences.

Mr Rose said Charlton is not heavily convicted and added: “Since his release he has been of good character. He has not committed any further offences.”

Mr Rose said Charlton now leads and “isolated life” after the “public shaming”.

Sunderland Echo

Muslim-hating decorator finds out he has half-Iraqi grandson

By
January 20, 2022
Uncategorized

The 51-year-old called for people to cook bacon over burning mosques

Paul Shelton, Buxton Road, Furness Vale, called for Islam to be made illegal

A Derbyshire painter and decorator posted “utterly vile” rants on social media where he said “we need to burn all mosques in our country” and “cook our bacon on the ashes”.

Derby Crown Court heard how Paul Shelton used an anonymous Facebook profile to spout his abhorrent views.

His sentencing hearing was told how like-minded people liked and shared his posts including one where he called Muslims “dirty, twisted, s***-stinking, paedos”.

And in what his own defence solicitor called “a beautiful and ironic silver lining” the 51-year-old has since found out he has a grandson who is half-Iraqi.

Jailing him for 20 months, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: “What you posted was utterly vile, grossly offensive and appalling.

“No right-thinking person would think this is anything other than abhorrent.

“The internet is a wonderful thing which has brought many benefits for all of our society.

“The problem, however, is that it is a medium which allows individual groups to peddle hate against sections of our society.

“Your views demonstrated hostility towards Muslims which does not allow me to accept the submission these were merely drunken rants.

“You posted anonymously and included you talking about an EDL (English Defence League) protest ‘outside Didsbury paedo cult hall’ in which you said people should “burn it down and cook our bacon on its ashes”.

“You called for Islam to be ‘completely outlawed in our country’ and said ‘we need to burn all mosques in our country.”

Jennifer Joseph, prosecuting, said police became aware of anti-Muslim postings made by a Facebook profile called “Pedro Smokey,” which following an investigation in late 2018, turned out to be Shelton.

She said messages were posted on an open public group called The Realist People Movement, the first of which read “we need to burn all mosques in our country, what say you?” which received messages of support from other online users.

Miss Joseph said a second message posted online referred to Muslims as being “dirty, twisted, s***-stinking, paedos” and used a racially offensive term toward Asian people.

She said: “(The prosecution) say it would not be right to suggest the messages are completely out of character and just a drunken mistake.

“He was interviewed and he was not particularly co-operative.

“He would not tell the police what his Facebook password was and when asked ‘are you Pedro Smokey?’ he replied ‘I can’t answer that question’.”

Shelton, of Buxton Road, Furness Vale, High Peak, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to two counts of publishing material that would incite religious hatred.

He has no relevant previous convictions and nothing for 10 years.

Richard Orme, mitigating, said since being arrested his client has got back in contact with his estranged daughter who has an Iraqi partner who has a child by him.

He said: “It’s a beautiful and ironic silver lining that he adores his half-Iraqi grandson and, in his own words, spoils him rotten.

“There has been a lot of water under the bridge, this is three-and-a-half years old and he is a new man who now does not share those views.

“He bears no ill-will towards Muslims.”

As well as the jail sentence, Shelton was handed a five-year criminal behaviour order limiting his use of the internet and meaning he has to tell the police about passwords and social media accounts should they demand to know them.

Derby Telegraph

Neo-Nazi terror offender ordered to read Jane Austen jailed after ‘unduly lenient’ sentence quashed

By
January 19, 2022
Uncategorized

A neo-Nazi terror offender who was ordered to read Jane Austen has been jailed after judges overturned his “unduly lenient” sentence.

Ben John, now 22, was handed a suspended prison sentence for possessing a terrorist document in August, meaning he would not be jailed unless he broke the conditions of a Serious Crime Prevention Order

At the time, Judge Timothy Spencer QC urged him to swap far-right propaganda for English literature, asking John: “Have you ever read Dickens? Austen? Well, start now. Start with Pride and Prejudice. Shakespeare? Try Twelfth Night. Dickens, start with A Tale of Two Cities and, if you have time, think about Hardy and think about Trollope.”

He sentenced John to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, with a one-year extended licence and a five-year Serious Crime Prevention Order.

Court of Appeal judges found that sentence was unlawful and sent John to prison for two years.

He was ordered to hand himself in at a police station by 4pm on Thursday, when he will be taken into custody.

Judges ruled that under the Sentencing Code which binds judges, sentences of more than two years cannot be suspended, and John’s term amounted to three years.

Lord Justice Holroyde did not criticise Judge Spencer’s remarks, and said he had been “in the best possible position to assess the offender”.

“It was certainly a very lenient sentence but we are not persuaded that in the circumstances in this case, the length of the term of imprisonment was itself unduly lenient,” he added.

“It is because the term was unlawful that we conclude it was unduly lenient.”

The Independent

Darlington boy youngest to be convicted of terrorist offence

By
January 19, 2022
Uncategorized

A schoolboy has become the youngest person in the UK to be convicted of terror offences.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the 14-year-old, who cannot be named, admitted three counts of possessing information useful to a terrorist.

The boy, from Darlington, was arrested in July last year when he was 13 as part of an investigation into extreme right-wing terrorism.

He was bailed and will be sentenced on 1 April at Newton Aycliffe Youth Court.

The teenager, who had been active on racist online forums, was charged last week with possessing information useful to a terrorist, with the offences relating to a period on or before July 2021, when he was 13.

The investigation was carried out by Counter Terrorism Policing North East.

Until now the youngest British terror offender was a neo-Nazi from Cornwall who downloaded one of several terrorist manuals when he was 13 but he was two years older when he was arrested.

The youngest person convicted of planning a terrorist attack in the UK was a 16-year-old boy, also from Country Durham.

BBC News

Three local men locked up for drunken fight at Chester beer garden

By
December 23, 2021
Uncategorized

THREE men who began a drunken violent punch-up in a Chester pub’s beer garden have been put behind bars.

Kyle Slater, Thomas Nelson and Taylor Wolstencroft had all travelled from the Greater Manchester area to Chester on Wednesday, August 4 and, after being told to leave The Commercial Bar and Hotel that afternoon, returned to throw chairs, tables and punches, Chester Crown Court heard on Thursday, December 23.

Slater, 21, of Merehall Drive, Bolton; Nelson, 28, of Leaf Street, Bolton and Wolstencroft, 18, of Uplands Avenue, Radcliffe, were all locked up for 10 months by Judge Patrick Thompson.

The trio had previously pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to affray.

Prosecuting, Siôn Ap Mihangel said it was at about 4.30pm when the duty manager of The Commercial saw the three men sat at a table, arguing with people at another table, and the comment “f*** Chester” was heard from the group of men, among threats.

They were asked to leave and were ushered away via the alleyway leading to Northgate Street.

The manager returned inside and then saw a chair being thrown outside – the group had returned, and were throwing chairs, tables, bottles and punches.

One of the women who had been on the other table was seen covering her head.

The duty manager went outside and he was kicked to the stomach, landing on the floor on his tail bone, causing discomfort.

The three men ran off as extra staff intervened, and police were notified, with the trio being arrested in Chester.

CCTV footage showing Slater being the man who first threw a chair, as well as the rest of the fight, was played to all three defendants in court.

In police interview, Slater said he was very drunk and did not remember much, having gone to Chester with 12 friends initially, but the group had split up.

He had been drinking double JD and coke and was “feeling a bit tipsy”. He admitted the level of violence was “unacceptable” and that, with hindsight, he should have just walked away.

Wolstencroft declined to comment when asked if the man shown on CCTV was him.

Nelson said he had tried to calm the situation down at first, and initially succeeded as the group left, but accepted he had returned to the beer garden with them and ended up throwing a table.

Nelson had eight previous convictions for 11 offences, with Wolstencroft two previous convictions and Slater one previous conviction.

All three had football banning orders, and Wolstencroft had breached his in May 2021.

Judge Thompson said it was surprising that nowhere had it been mentioned in the case, other than in a probation officer’s report, that the three men had travelled from the Bolton area to Chester on the day Chester FC were playing Bolton Wanderers in a pre-season friendly that evening.

He said it was an “incredible coincidence” if the three, who previously had football banning orders, had travelled to Chester but were not later going to the football match.

Brian Treadwell, defending Slater and Nelson, said Nelson had tried to defuse the situation initially, but what followed was a joint enterprise.

He had made “full and frank admissions” in police interview.

Slater had one prior conviction for setting off a smoke bomb at a football stadium.

Jade Tufail, defending Wolstencroft, said there was a lack of maturity for the defendant and he accepted it was “a stupid thing to do”.

Judge Thompson said people in Chester were “sick and tired” of people coming to the city and being drunk and violent, so only immediate custody was appropriate.

He added Wolstencroft did not appear to take the court seriously by breaching his football banning order.

Bolton News

Nelson is part of the NWI mob from a few years ago.

Cavan Medlock: Alleged right-wing terrorist denies plot to kill solicitor

By
December 23, 2021
Uncategorized

An alleged right-wing extremist has denied a terrorist plot to kill a solicitor in north-west London.

Cavan Medlock is alleged to have arrived at the Duncan Lewis law firm in Harrow on 7 September 2020.

The Old Bailey heard Mr Medlock was allegedly armed with a knife and handcuffs, while carrying a Confederate flag and a Nazi flag.

The 29-year-old pleaded not guilty to six charges against him including preparation of terrorist acts.

Mr Medlock denied a separate charge of making a threat to kill solicitor Toufique Hossain.

He pleaded guilty to four other offences relating to three other staff members.

Mr Medlock, from Harrow, admitted battery and threatening the receptionist with a knife and causing racially aggravated alarm, harassment or distress to the two other employees.

He is also alleged to have abused two other members of staff because of their racial or religious background.

Prosecutors allege Mr Medlock is an extreme right-wing terrorist who planned to kill the solicitor because he objected to his involvement in preventing the Government deporting immigrants.

Mr Justice Wall set a two-week trial for 11 July next year at Kingston Crown Court.

BBC News

Cambs neo-Nazi Covid conspiracy theorist spread antisemitic hoax theories

By
December 13, 2021
Uncategorized

Matthew Henegan earlier attended court wearing a swastika armband and was ordered to remove it by a judge

A Cambridgeshire neo-Nazi coronavirus conspiracy theorist spread antisemitic hoax theories and referred to himself as a National Socialist.

Matthew Henegan, 36, has been found guilty of stirring up racial hatred on the internet and also in leaflets posted to residents of St Neots at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March last year.

He also repeatedly used a “grossly offensive” term for Jewish people and falsely claimed they controlled the news about coronavirus.

Cambridgeshire Police became aware of the material in mid-March last year after residents reported receiving “offensive and antisemitic” leaflets through their doors.

Links were found in the documents to racially inflammatory video and audio files posted by Henegan online.

Police searched Henegan’s home and seized a large stash of leaflets, a homemade swastika and swastika armband, reports PA.

‘Coronavirus Hoax supplement’ was one document which Henegan posted online on March 9 last year and viewed 95 times.

Antisemitic themes and admiration for Adolf Hitler were found in the material, the Old Bailey was told.

Another document appeared online two days later suggesting that the Fishmongers’ Hall terror attack, in which two innocent people were killed, was “set up” by a propaganda machine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was also claimed to be Jewish but being “passed off” as English, the jury was told.

The author of the document referred to himself as a National Socialist, the court heard.

On March 13 last year, a three-hour video entitled “Corona Virus Hoax” was posted on the same website.

Henegan talked into the camera in the clip and encouraged people to deny any coronavirus curfew.

Henegan, from St Neots, denied possessing, distributing and publishing documents inciting racial hatred and possessing a terrorist document.

He also denied possessing a document about how to make armour-piercing ammunition that was likely to be useful to a terrorist.

Giving evidence, Henegan, who has Asperger’s syndrome, said it was not his intention to stir up racial hatred.

The unemployed defendant, who lived with his mother, told jurors he was interested in historical research, particularly Germany’s role in the Second World War.

He rejected the “commonly-held view” that Hitler began the war and also that six million Jewish people died at the hands of German authorities.

On Friday, a jury found Henegan guilty of the charges against him.

He was remanded into custody to be sentenced on January 14.

It can now be reported that Henegan had earlier attended court wearing a swastika armband and was ordered to remove it by a judge.

Cambridgeshire News

One of UK’s ‘most prolific far-right anti-Semitic video streamers’ jailed

By
December 4, 2021
Uncategorized

Police said Hesketh used a spare bedroom in his home to “create his obscene videos”, which had about two million views

One of the UK’s most prolific far-right anti-Semitic video streamers, who posted films of himself as an offensive caricature of a Jewish man to 10,000 subscribers online, has been jailed.

Richard Hesketh was arrested after a charity showed police his work, which had had about two million views.

The 36-year-old, of Hollin Lane in Middleton, admitted seven counts of inciting racial hatred.

He was jailed for four years at Manchester Crown Court.

Greater Manchester Police said as part of his “campaign of abuse towards the Jewish community”, Hesketh had created an alter-ego called George and dressed up for videos “in an attempt to caricature an offensive stereotype of a Jewish male, using a false voice”.

A spokesman said Hesketh used a spare bedroom in his home to “create his obscene videos which focused on celebrating far-right terrorism and showing support for violence against Jewish people”.

‘Appalling behaviour’

Counter terrorism police were alerted to his activity by Jewish protection charity The Community Security Trust (CST), which had expressed concerns about the nature of videos being uploaded to Hesketh’s profile between 2018 and 2020.

The force spokesman said the videos had “a combined viewing figure of two million views”.

A search of Hesketh’s home found mobile phones and packs of sim cards featuring large amounts of anti-Semitic imagery as well as information on conspiracy theories.

Speaking after sentencing, Det Supt Will Chatterton said Hesketh had shown “no remorse” when he was interviewed and “even continued to upload offensive material to his social media channels after he was released under investigation”.

“Hesketh enjoyed viewing videos of serious attacks on Jewish people and even made comments referring to his disappointment that the attacker in one video did not kill the victim, showing just how depraved his beliefs are,” he said.

He said Hesketh had “shared as well as created hundreds of shockingly offensive videos and content on social media, which undoubtedly incited hatred towards the Jewish community”.

“I really do hope that his time in prison is spent reflecting upon his appalling behaviour,” he added.

CST chief executive Mark Gardner said Hesketh was “one of Britain’s most prolific far-right anti-Semitic video streamers”.

“We are pleased to have helped bring this anti-Semite to justice,” he added.

BBC News

Scot who idolised neo-Nazis and said he planned to burn Islamic centre jailed for terror offences

By
December 2, 2021
Uncategorized

Sam Imrie had been “glorifying” murderers online – including terrorist Anders Brevik, who slaughtered 77 people in Norway in 2011

A white nationalist who idolised right-wing mass killers and hated Muslims has been jailed for a total of seven and a half years for terrorist offences.

Sam Imrie was today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow for what a judge described as the “despicable spreading of hate”.

The 24 year-old had been arrested in July 2019 after he posted messages on social media saying he was planning to set fire to the Fife Islamic Centre in Glenrothes.

Police went to discover he had been “glorifying” murderers online – including terrorist Anders Brevik, who slaughtered 77 people in Norway in 2011.

Officers also seized a terrifying arsenal of weapons at his home in Glenrothes consisting of knives, a hammer, nunchucks, an axe and a rifle scope.

Imrie was convicted of two charges of breaching the terrorism act, wilful fire raising, possessing child and “extreme” pornography and drink-driving following a trial in Edinburgh in October.

Lord Mulholland today told him: “You posted on a neo-Nazi chatroom your hatred of Muslim, Jews, black people and refugees.

“You revered neo-Nazi and white supremacists. You lauded their crimes against innocent people.

“You were spreading hate and encouraging others to take terrorist action that you pretended you had.

“Your conduct was despicable. You have no understanding or self-awareness of the hatred that you tried to spread.

“Many Muslims died fighting for the alliance in World War Two for the freedoms that you enjoyed.

“I hope you take advantage of your time in custody to remove the hatred from your heart.”

Imrie showed no emotion as he was lead back to the cells other to wave to his mother in the public benches.

Jurors heard how Imrie was a loner and had developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after being assaulted when he was younger.

He became “steeped” in right-wing ideology and started to “hate” Muslims after looking at extremist content on websites such as 8Chan and messaging app Telegram.

Imrie posted online: “All my heroes are mass murderers.”

His Snapchat username was “N*****killer1488”.

As well as idolising Brevik, Imrie was also fascinated with Brenton Tarrant, who killed Muslims praying at a mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019.

Imrie was said to have wanted Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon “to die” because of her attitudes to immigration.

His arrest came after the Metropolitan Police in London infiltrated the “FashWave Artists” group on Telegram, on which Imrie posted messages, images, videos and gifs.

He had posted a series of messages claiming he was going to “burn down” a mosque and live stream it.

The Met contacted Police Scotland and Imrie was held in early July 2019.

The trial heard he went to the Islamic Centre in Glenrothes, but did not do anything.

Imrie instead went to dilapidated Strathmore Lodge, in Thornton, Fife, and set fire to a doorway.

He filmed it and claimed to the group it was a mosque or Islamic centre.

Jurors heard he ended up being “ridiculed” by the online audience.

Imrie had denied the crimes. It was claimed his comments were a joke and that he was not serious about torching a mosque.

But, he was convicted of a terrorism charge of making statements on Telegram and Facebook which encouraged acts of terrorism.

A second charge stated Imrie made a “record of information” which would be useful to somebody who was committing acts of terrorism.

He was acquitted of a terrorism charge which stated that he engaged in conduct in “preparation” of terrorism acts.

Police also confiscated a USB stick from Imrie. The images contained “extreme” pornographic images, which he was further convicted of.

Jim Keegan QC, defending, today said: “He wrote to his mother to apologise for his behaviour.

“He gave evidence during the trial..he accepts his behaviour was inappropriate, stupid, vile.”

Imrie was also put on the sex offenders list for 10 years.

He was further slapped with a five year serious crime prevention order designed to tackle and monitor criminals when they are freed.

Daily Record

National Action: Ben Raymond guilty of terror charges

By
November 30, 2021
Uncategorized

Ben Raymond retweeted a post celebrating Jo Cox’s murder, the court heard

The co-founder of a neo-Nazi group has been found guilty of being a member of a banned terrorist organisation.

Ben Raymond, 32, from Swindon, was part of National Action, a group which wanted to wage a “white Jihad” and race war in Britain.

Raymond was also convicted of possessing a manifesto by the Norwegian terrorist Andrews Breivik and a guide to homemade detonators.

He was found not guilty of four counts of possessing other documents.

The graduate is the 17th person to be convicted of membership of the white supremacist group after a jury convicted him on Tuesday.

Raymond helped create the organisation in 2013 and coined the term “white jihad”, Bristol Crown Court previously heard.

He produced much of its propaganda and was likened to the Third Reich’s propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.

It was later proscribed after its social media channels glorified the murder of the MP Jo Cox by white supremacist terrorist Thomas Mair in 2016.

Ben Raymond when he appeared in court in April

After the ban he remained involved in the group – joining group chats, designing propaganda and continuing to associate with other leading figures.

His trial at Bristol Crown Court heard how he told an associate he would “take it as a badge of honour” if National Action was declared illegal.

Hammer and machete

Following the ban, the group’s former spokesman Jack Renshaw – an associate of Raymond – was jailed for a terrorist plot to murder his local MP Rosie Cooper in Lancashire.

Raymond had also been been in contact with Zack Davies, who in 2015 attempted to murder a Sikh man in Mold, Flintshire, using a hammer and machete.

He was later given a life sentence.

In 2018 the BBC tracked Raymond down to a Swansea bedsit and challenged him on his role in the group.

Raymond was an associate of convicted neo-Nazi Jack Renshaw

In April he was charged with remaining a member of National Action between December 2016 and September 2017, as well as several counts of possessing terrorist information, including bomb-making guides.

Following the verdict Raymond was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at the same court on Friday.

BBC News