A one-man neo-Nazi “propaganda machine” who encouraged racist mass murder has been jailed for a string of terror offences.

Luke Hunter, 23, from Newcastle, created extremist material and ran accounts on multiple online platforms.

Hunter, the son of a former counter-terrorism officer, was arrested in 2019 at his home address.

He was affiliated with a now-banned terrorist organisation called the Feuerkrieg Division (FKD).

Hunter, of High Callerton, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court to four years and two months in prison.

Hiding behind an alias, he posted extremist material to several online platforms, including his own website, podcast, and a channel on the Telegram messaging application.

He used the accounts to promote racial hatred and murder, telling followers that the “eradication” of Jewish people was a “moral and racial duty”.

Death threat film

On the Telegram channel, which had more than 1,000 subscribers, he posted violent neo-Nazi imagery and glorified various terrorists, including the London nail bomber and the man who murdered 51 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The channel was affiliated with FKD, which was banned in the UK as a terrorist organisation earlier this year.

Hunter, who communicated with the group’s young leader, produced video propaganda for FKD, with one film including death threats to the chief constable of the West Midlands. The force had charged an FKD member with planning a terrorist attack.

One of Hunter’s podcast guests was Alex Davies, co-founder of the banned extreme right-wing group National Action.

But Hunter was not only active online and travelled to Glasgow to deliver a speech at a far-right conference.

In October last year detectives searching the house where he lived with his mother found a large hunting knife and a life-size dummy covered in stab marks, prosecutors said.

‘Promoted killing techniques’

A preliminary court hearing heard Hunter’s father, with whom he did not live at the time of his arrest, spent years as a Metropolitan Police counter terrorism officer before transferring to a civilian role.

Hunter pleaded guilty earlier this year to four counts of encouraging terrorism and three of disseminating terrorist publications.

The prosecution argued that Hunter, who has been diagnosed with autism, was “deeply radicalised” and that his activity “smacks of a propaganda machine which has been designed to function over a number of platforms”.

Hunter admitted four counts of encouraging terrorism and three of disseminating terrorist publications

Det Ch Supt Martin Snowden, head of counter terrorism policing north east, said that Hunter’s online activity “glorified terrorism, promoted killing techniques and encouraged the killing of Jews, non-white races and homosexuals.”

He added: “Luke Hunter represents a threat to our society, not simply because of his mindset, but because of the considerable lengths he was prepared to go to in order to recruit and enable others in support of his cause”.

BBC News

Boy, 17, convicted of five sexual assaults against a younger girl

One of the sketches made by the teenager
(Counter Terrorism Policing North East)

A teenage neo-Nazi who was jailed for planning terror attacks has been given a new sentence for child sex offences.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of five counts of sexually touching a girl under the age of 13.

He was given an 18-month detention and training order for the assaults at Leeds Youth Court on Wednesday.

District Judge Richard Kitson said the term could be served concurrently to his previous sentence of six years and eight months for preparing acts of terrorism.

“The offences [against the girl] are wholly different to those that have resulted in your current sentence and, in theory, consecutive sentences would be justified,” he told the defendant. “I think that would be inappropriate in view of the extended sentence which you are currently serving.”

The defendant is due to turn 18 this month, meaning the ban on identifying him would expire automatically, but his lawyers have applied to extend the reporting restriction.

At a separate hearing at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Nicholas Dean QC granted an extension until a hearing where the arguments can be considered in full on 11 January.

The boy had detailed plans to firebomb synagogues and other buildings in the Durham area as part of what he believed was an upcoming “race war”.

Before being arrested, he wrote that his upcoming 12 weeks of study leave would be “showtime”.

He was convicted of six terror offences, including preparing acts of terrorism, disseminating terrorist publications and possessing material for terrorist purposes.

A court heard that he had been “tipped off” by a fellow extremist on the Fascist Forge forum that a police raid was imminent and deleted evidence as a result, but police could not corroborate that claim.

When he was arrested in March 2019, police found a piece of paper in his pocket containing a message in code that said: “Killing is probably easier than your paranoid mind thinks. You’re just not used to it.”

The boy was carrying a drawing of a fellow school pupil being beheaded, because he believed he was gay and deserved “judgement”.

After reading Norway shooter Anders Breivik’s manifesto, he had written his own version entitled: “Storm 88: A manual for practical sensible guerrilla warfare against the k**e [offensive term for a Jewish person] system in Durham city area, sieg hiel.”

It called for lone-wolf terror attacks to fight against a supposed “genocide” of white people and listed proposed attack targets in Durham, including schools, public transport and council buildings.

Writing on the Fascist Forge forum, the teenager claimed a race war was “inevitable”, and called himself an “accelerationist”.

Prosecutors said they had not identified a “particular act or acts” of terrorism that the boy was going to commit, but that he had been preparing for some kind of atrocity since October 2017.

He denied all offences, claiming he had adopted the terrorist persona for “shock value” and did not want to carry out attacks, but was convicted unanimously of all charges in November 2019.

The court heard that the boy had been an “adherent of a right-wing ideology” since the age of 13, and that his views became more extreme as he immersed himself in fascist websites and forums.

By 2017, he was describing himself as a neo-Nazi and operated a since-deleted Twitter account with a handle referring to a British fascist leader.

His racist and homophobic tweets drew the attention of police but when he was interviewed in September that year, he claimed they were posted “for a laugh”.

The teenager initially agreed to take part in the Prevent counter-radicalisation programme but later stopped engaging.

The boy claimed he was not an extremist, but started another Twitter account and continued communicating with contacts, while accessing a “large quantity of extreme right-wing literature” online and in hard copy.

The court heard he had steeped himself in antisemitic conspiracy theories and ranted about Jewish governors at his school, Jewish MPs and the press.

In August 2018, he described himself as a “radical national socialist” and follower of Adolf Hitler, saying he had read Mein Kampf and had a photo of the Nazi leader on his phone.

Prosecutors said the boy obtained and shared terror manuals on making explosives and firearms on the Ironmarch and Fascist Forge online forums, but also drew on jihadi propaganda.

He had searched for Isis execution videos and used al-Qaeda literature, as well as a jihadi guide on making deadly poisons, including ricin.

By November 2018, he had progressed to extreme occult neo-Nazism and voiced support for satanism.

The teenager declared his support for the “siege” ideology, which was started by an American neo-Nazi and advocates the use of terror attacks to trigger a race war.

“Democracy is very much a dead system; political violence therefore, can only help us,” he wrote. “The white race is being silently genocided, the west is dying.”

Sentencing him for the terror offences earlier this year, the previous Recorder of Manchester, Judge David Stockdale QC, found the teenager’s subsequently diagnosed autism spectrum disorder played a part in his offending.

He described the youth as “highly intelligent, widely read, quick-thinking and articulate” but told him that it was “a matter of infinite regret that you pursued at such a young age a twisted and – many would say – a sick ideological path”.

The Independent

He was jailed earlier this year for putting Adolf Hitler stickers on lampposts

David Holmes was congratulated by one Far Right movement for ‘a good job in Heanor

This racist who was previously jailed for peppering lamp posts and bus stops with Neo Nazi stickers, has now been sent back to prison after police found cans of CS gas at his home.

Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard how officers uncovered the banned spray when they went to the home of David Holmes, in Heanor, on June 12.

The heavily-tattooed 63-year-old, who has an infatuation with the Far Right pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing a weapon designed or adapted for the discharge of a noxious liquid.

The magistrates who jailed him for 26 weeks told him “it has to be custody because these are very serious matters”.

In August, Holmes was jailed for a year after he pleaded guilty to a number of charges including racially aggravated harassment, racially-aggravated criminal damage and witness intimidation.

On that occasion Derby Crown Court heard how he placed the offensive stickers around Ilkeston, Heanor, Mapperley, in Shipley Park and on the Nutbrook Trail during 2019.

Siward James-Moore, prosecuting on that occasion said police received a number of complaints about them including one from the head teacher who saw one placed on a lamppost outside his primary school.

Mr James-Moore said: “Some said ‘deport illegal immigrants’ and other showed an emoji of Adolf Hitler with a hand written note which read ‘Muslim scum out’ and ‘Hitler was right’.

“More of the Hitler stickers were found around Heanor and Langley Mill and were forensically analysed and linked to this defendant through a fingerprint.

“Another sticker was found on a bus stop and showed a white toddler with a shaved head and the number 88 on it which is a link to a far right ideology linked to Hitler’s birthday and the letters HH for ‘Hiel Hitler’.”

Mr James-Moore said Holmes was arrested at his home address in Ashforth Avenue, Marlpool, Heanor and a number of items were seized.

He said this included letters from a far right movement the defendant is a member of congratulating him for “a nice job in Heanor” and to “keep up the good work”.

In August the hearing was told how Holmes also displayed a Klux Klan figurine from his window and put bottles of his “potent” home made wine on neighbour’s doorsteps.

On them were written more racist slogans and one celebrating Klaus Barbie, a Gestapo officer known as the Butcher of Lyon and who tortured and killed Jews during the Second World War.

Mr James-Moore said: “In interview, the defendant was upfront and frank telling police he had placed more stickers around Shipley Park and on the Nutbrook Trail.

“He said his views were the normal views of people living in the area and were not offensive.

“He said he had issues with extensive immigration and what he called the ‘dilution of Aryan blood’.”

Jailing him on that occasion, Recorder Stuart Sprawson said: “You have deeply-held entrenched views about other people of different ethnicity to you.

“One of the people to complain was the head teacher of a primary school concerned about the impact this would have on the pupils and totally against the views being taught there.”

Derby Telegraph

EXCLUSIVE The far right extremist, 38, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was filmed punching a Three Lions fan to the ground in Portugal

Far right extremist Tommy Robinson has been banned from all football matches – including England – at home and abroad for four years.

The thug, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, 38, was filmed punching a Three Lions fan to the ground in Portugal during the Nations League finals.

That footage, obtained by the Mirror, was used by Bedfordshire Police to bring a civil case against Robinson this week.

It resulted in an order banning him from “all regulated football matches, home and abroad” for four years – including England at the next two Euro tournaments and the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Dep Chief Constable Mark Roberts, National Police Chiefs’ Council Football Policing Lead, said: “This is a really positive result.”

Robinson was seen thumping a fan before England’s 3-1 defeat to Holland in Guimaraes on June 6, 2019.

The former English Defence League leader approached the England fan, who told him: “You do not represent me.”

A witness said: “Robinson throws a punch. This is from a man trying to become an MEP.” Robinson said the fan had been rowdy and abusive.

Robinson had posted a message before the game saying: “No football banning order here, mate.”

The remark was believed to refer to a banning order Bedfordshire Police applied for over a flag reading “F*** ISIS” at Euro 2016. They said it was inciting hatred against Muslims but he successfully challenged it.

The force worked with the UK Football Policing Unit to obtain the order banning him from football matches.

He was also ordered to pay £3,600 in costs.

A court spokeswoman confirmed the order was granted for “causing or contributing to violence”.

In 2011, Robinson was convicted of hooliganism for leading 100 Luton Town fans in a clash with Newport County fans.

He lost his £5,000 deposit in the European election last year after getting just 2.2% of the vote in the North West.

After the incident in Portugal, he said: “I was with my wife. If people get physical, I am not going to wait for them to attack me… the man needs to keep his views to himself.”

Daily Mirror

Stuart Spence, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary at the Londis store at Kenton Park Shopping Centre

A bungling burglar who raided a Kenton store was caught after his blood was found at the scene.

Stuart Spence broke into the Londis store at Kenton Park Shopping Centre in the early hours of April 6 and stole cash and cigarettes to the value of £1,200

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the 33-year-old forced his way in by breaking bars and a window at the rear of the premises.

Paul Cross, prosecuting, said a cash machine was attacked, money and cigarettes were taken while the shop’s CCTV hard drive was also stolen.

A resident of an upstairs flat saw a man leaving the scene on a bike at around 3.46am and phoned the police.

But he inadvertently left traces of his blood at the scene on the cash machine and a nearby fridge which were later found by investigating officers.

The swabs were sent off for forensic analysis and were later linked back to Spence, who was arrested by police.

He made no reply during an interview but later pleaded guilty to one count of burglary.

The court heard how the shop owner was left in fear of another attack on his premises which had cost him around £3,000 – including £1,720 of his personal savings to secure the store.

Spence, who has 32 past convictions for 71 offences, was on bail at the time of the offence for dangerous driving which he was later sentenced to a nine-month jail term suspended for two years in July.

David Comb, defending, said: “He appears to have had a near death experience in July in a car accident.

“He has reconciled with a former girlfriend and he has indicated his life has achieved a greater stability than it has in the past 12 months.”

Judge Edward Bindloss spared Spence, of Muswell Hill, Newcastle, jail by giving him a prison sentence of nine months, suspended for 18 months.

However, he warned him that he was on his last chance.

He said: “You are at risk of a lot of custodial time. The key thing is to stay out of trouble.

“If you breach this order you face 18 months on top of whatever else.”

Chronicle Live

Far-right activist handed fine and told not to contact correspondent following March 2019 incident

Far-right activist James Goddard has been handed a fine and given a restraining order after abusing an Independent journalist outside a packed courtroom.

Goddard was found guilty on Thursday at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court of a public order offence relating to a confrontation with home affairs and security correspondent Lizzie Dearden.

Goddard, who was a prominent figure in pro-Brexit ‘yellow vest’ demonstrations, called Ms Dearden “scum of the earth” and “vile” at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in March 2019.

Ms Dearden was at the court to cover the trial of Goddard, 31, who had been charged with harrassing pro-Remain MP Anna Soubry and calling her a “Nazi”.

Goddard recognised Ms Dearden, who has reported extensively on the far right, and acted toward her in an “aggressive manner”, Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court was told.

In finding him guilty, district judge Andrew Sweet said Goddard had been “threatening and abusive” towards Ms Dearden.

Giving evidence, Ms Dearden said she arrived outside the courtroom where Goddard’s hearing was being held but at that moment the defendant “came out walking extremely fast”.

The journalist told the court she “took a step back” but Goddard “seemed to recognise” her and “started shouting… ‘that’s Lizzie Dearden from The Independent’.”

She added: “He started walking towards me quite fast. I remember hearing the words ‘vile’ and ‘scum of the earth’. My immediate reaction was to get into the court to get away from him.”

Ms Dearden said she was unable to get into the courtroom because staff told her it was full.

Asked by prosecutor Leo Seelig how she felt, Ms Dearden said: “I was frightened when he came towards me, he is quite a big guy and he looked extremely angry.”

Carly-May Kavanagh, who was with Ms Dearden at the time of the confrontation, described Goddard as “aggressive and confrontational”.

She said: “He was raising his voice, he was shouting about Lizzie but he also stepped towards us, and it was at that point I walked off because I was worried it could get physical.”

District judge Andrew Sweet stopped the proceedings on a number of occasions to tell Goddard, from Greater Manchester, to stop interrupting from the dock.

Taking the stand, the defendant, who was accompanied by several supporters in the public gallery, told the court there were “hundreds” of people at his March 2019 trial and he felt “very anxious” because of a large police and press presence.

Goddard said the exchange with Ms Dearden happened as he was coming out of the court, when he “laughed and said ‘ha you’re not coming in, you scumbag’.” He denied referring to Ms Dearden as “vile scum of the earth”.

Goddard denied his words or behaviour were threatening or abusive. He added: “If you can’t be called a scumbag maybe you are in the wrong profession, maybe you shouldn’t be a journalist, maybe you should go work in a warehouse.”

The Independent

Filip Golon Bednarczyk claimed he wanted to make fireworks but judge said explanation was ‘fanciful’

A mocking image of Filip Golon Bednarczyk stood outside a Luton church that was posted on his Facebook page

A far-right extremist has been jailed for possessing explosives and terrorist documents.

Filip Golon Bednarczyk, 26, denied planning an attack or attempting to make a bomb and claimed he was acting on “curiosity borne out of boredom”.

Giving evidence at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, he said he had downloaded numerous terrorist manuals and collected chemicals and components because he wanted to make fireworks.

But a judge said Bednarczyk’s explanations did not “bear scrutiny” and that he was interested in building bombs.

“I find your admitted right-wing sympathies were the motivation for your interest in explosives,” Judge Anthony Leonard QC told him.

“The idea you drew a circular diagram with nails and a detonator because you wanted to create a firework is fanciful … if the instructions had been followed it would have resulted in a working IED.”

Bednarczyk had admitted possessing an explosive substance under suspicious circumstances between May and December last year.

He also pleaded guilty to seven charges of possessing a document likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism in relation to various titles about homemade explosives and devices.

The judge sentenced him to four years in prison with another year on licence, and handed Bednarczyk a 15-year notification order in which he has to report his personal details to the police.

When entering his guilty pleas, Bednarczyk insisted he did not want to harm anyone and had not attempted to construct a bomb.

He admitted “right-wing sympathies” but denied being a neo-Nazi and said his online research had not focused on particular groups.

An analysis of his electronic devices revealed an interest in firearms, knives and killings as well as extreme right-wing views.

Filip Golon Bednarczyk cutting up a Britain First membership card in a 2017 YouTube video

The Old Bailey heard that he had a copy of the Christchurch attacker’s manifesto, which claimed white people are being “replaced”, and shared memes supporting the terror attack that left 51 people dead.

Bednarczyk had also searched the internet for Nazis, Hitler, the Polish Defence League — an offshoot of the English Defence League — and Britain First.

The Polish national, from Luton, had targeted Muslims, Jews and the gay community in hateful online posts.

In a Facebook post from July 2019, he shared photos of British police officers supporting Pride events and called them “pathetic”, writing: “Death of European culture and values”.

In 2015, Bednarczyk “liked” a meme showing Mecca being destroyed by nuclear weapons, and called for the burqa to be banned.

Another post suggested that “liberal blood will flow in the streets” for the tolerance of Muslims, transgender people, homosexuality, abortion and feminism.

The previous year, he shared an antisemitic meme which originated on 4chan showing world leaders wearing Jewish skullcaps.

On his YouTube channel, which has more than 4,000 subscribers, Bednarczyk uploaded a video of himself cutting up a Britain First membership card in 2017.

He was arrested by detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism unit on 11 December.

A search of his bedsit led to the discovery of handwritten notes, electrical component parts and a 2kg bag of sulphur powder inside a wardrobe.

Printed bomb-making instructions were found alongside a blank-firing pistol, a soldering iron and USB stick containing documents and images relating to explosives.

Expert analysis of the material was that it included “viable instructions for a range of explosive materials including low explosives, primary high explosives and secondary high explosives” and “viable instructions for a number of types of IED”, prosecutor Dan Pawson-Pounds told the court.

Bednarczyk said he bought potassium nitrate and sulphur over the internet but later tried to return them because he “lost interest” in it.

He said he did not open the sulphur and told the court: “Out of boredom I was thinking about experimenting with the chemicals for a little excitement in the garden.”

The defendant claimed he had forgotten about the items in his wardrobe and had accidentally downloaded terrorist manuals because he was taking documents off the internet “in bulk”.

Judge Leonard said it was not a “coincidence” that Bednarczyk had kept electronic parts that could have been used to make a detonator alongside the ingredients for gunpowder.

The judge said he was previously warned against keeping such material in March 2018, when police confiscated chemicals discovered at Bednarczyk’s home after his partner’s suicide.

Around that time, the defendant confided in a friend that he was concerned about what police would discover if they searched his computer, because he had been looking at how to make a bomb.

The court heard that Bednarczyk, who has a seven-year-old son in Poland, may have exaggerated symptoms of poor mental health during a psychiatric assessment and did not suffer from a condition that affected his culpability.

Defence barrister Beth O’Reilly told the court there was “no evidence of a terrorist connection” in the case, adding: “He describes his interest [in explosives] as curiosity, that interest wasn’t acted on.”

The Independent

Ryan Crinson, of County Durham, had already told his former partner, of Sunderland, he would make her life hell and blow up her car

A plasterer threatened to “do a Raoul Moat” days before he was due to appear in court for harassing his former partner.

Ryan Crinson had already told his ex he would blow up her car, “make her life hell” and drive his car through her friends’ homes during a series of unwanted calls in April and May.

The 32-year-old menace was arrested for harassment and told he had to appear in court on July 20.

But three days before his appearance, Crinson contacted his victim, who lived in Sunderland and had by then had moved house because of him, 30 times in one day.

During the calls on July 17, Crinson warned he would “do a Raoul Moat” – a reference to the notorious killer who went on a gun rampage after his relationship broke down.

Prosecutor Helen Towers told Newcastle Crown Court: “The complainant received 30 unwanted calls. She answered four and recorded them.

“The defendant was the caller and she described him as under the influence, his speech was slurred.

“During the calls he made offers of money for her not to go to court.

“He stated he knew where she was living and gave a location.

“He stated he would blow her car up.

“He also stated he would do a Raoul Moat.”

Crinson, of Upper Town, Wolsingham, County Durham, admitted harassment and threatening behaviour.

Judge Tim Gittins sentenced Crinson to six months behind bars with a five year restraining order to keep him away from his victim’s home in Sunderland.

The judge said the calls made by Crinson were “vile, threatening and abusive” and added: “Albeit they were words, they were frightening words.

“She was understandably terrified.”

The court heard Crinson is likely to be released immediately due to the time he has spent on remand.

Tony Cornberg, defending, said Crinson is keen to get back to his plastering business and accepts he was using alcohol to excess at the time.

Mr Cornberg added: “There has been no trouble in the last four months. He accepts the relationship is over.”

Newcastle Chronicle

A thief who launched a wrecking “spree” that left seven vehicles damaged has been allowed to keep his freedom.

Kieron Wright targeted motors that had been parked in the River View area of Sunderland, all within hours of each other, in October last year.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that all of the vehicles, which included cars and vans, were damaged by the 28-year-old, who smashed windows and lights, and some had personal property taken from inside.

Prosecutor Paul Reid told the court: “It was a spree of breaking into vehicles parked in Sunderland.”

At the time of the car attacks, Wright was on bail after being caught with a balaclava, torch and small hammer near the scene of a burglary and for stealing perfume from Asda.

Wright, who has a long criminal record, pleaded guilty to going equipped for theft, criminal damage and theft charges.

At a previous hearing, earlier this month, Jamie Adams, defending, said Wright, of Rosedale Street, Sunderland, was “wanting to be caught” so he could get help with his drug problem.

Mr Adams said Wright is “trying to sort himself out” and has responded well while in custody on remand.

Mr Recorder John Aitken adjourned the case until today so that Wright can be assessed for his suitability for a drug rehabilitation order.

The judge told him at the time: “It seems to me you have shown some progress and it would be in everyone’s interests if you could get a grip of your drug abuse which might lead to you not offending again.”

Wright was given bail over the last three weeks and was told he would receive a non-custodial sentence if he can convince the drug treatment authorities that he is willing to work with them.

But the judge warned him: “If you are unable to persuade them of that, I will have no choice but to give you a custodial sentence.”

Wright has now been back in court today where the judge sentenced him to a community order for nine months with a drug rehabilitation requirement.

Sunderland Echo

A NEWARK man received a suspended prison sentence for his third racially-aggravated offence since 2016.

Chris Conroy, the former head of the English Defence League in Newark, was sentenced by Nottingham magistrates to 12 weeks custody, suspended for a year, for the use of racially-aggravated threatening behaviour towards a police officer.

Conroy, 31, of Wolsey Road, Newark, admitted the offence and must take part in rehabilitation as part of his sentence and pay the officer £50 compensation.

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