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Renshaw, pictured at a National Action rally, was also jailed for 16 months in 2018 for four counts of grooming adolescent boys

A neo-Nazi who planned to murder Labour MP Rosie Cooper has been jailed for life.

Jack Renshaw, 23, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, must serve at least 20 years in prison.

A judge at the Old Bailey said Renshaw, who earlier admitted preparing an act of terrorism, wanted to “replicate” the murder of Jo Cox.

Renshaw made a Nazi salute towards supporters as he was led to the cells from the dock.

He pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial to buying a machete to kill the West Lancashire MP and making threats to kill police officer Det Con Victoria Henderson.

A jury twice failed to reach a verdict on charges relating to his membership of banned neo-Nazi group National Action.

Sentencing him, Judge Justice McGowan said Renshaw’s “perverted view of history and current politics” led him to “an attempt to damage our entire system of democracy”.

She said: “You praised the murder of Jo Cox in tweets and posts in June 2017. In some bizarre way you saw this as a commendable act and set out to replicate that behaviour.”

The judge added Renshaw had made “detailed arrangements” and studied Ms Cooper’s itinerary.

The knife Renshaw bought was described by the online seller as offering “19 inches of unprecedented piercing and slashing power at a bargain price”

Giving evidence during his first National Action trial last summer, he said he wanted to murder the MP “to send the state a message”.

He got as far as buying a 19in (48cm) Gladius knife and told members of National Action about his plan during a meeting in a Warrington pub in July 2017.

The plot was foiled by whistleblower and former National Action member, Robbie Mullen, who was secretly passing information to anti-racism charity Hope not Hate, which informed police.

Police arrested Renshaw and found the machete hidden in an airing cupboard at his uncle’s house.

In a victim impact statement, Ms Cooper said it was “like something out of a horror movie”.

Friends and family had encouraged her to stand down from Parliament but she refused because “that would allow tyranny to prevail”.

After the sentencing, Ms Cooper said “justice has been served”.

Jack Renshaw wearing a mask at a National Action rally in Liverpool in 2016

Renshaw was also jailed for 16 months in June 2018 for four counts of grooming adolescent boys.

Det Con Henderson, who was investigating the child sex offences, said she “had sleepless nights” until he was arrested.

“I am not prepared to let Jack Renshaw ruin my everyday life,” she said.

The judge praised the two women and told Renshaw: “You have not defeated them.”

She said he had acted in a polite manner towards Det Con Henderson while planning to kill her in an act of revenge.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it presented evidence that persuaded Renshaw to plead guilty, including online research on cutting the jugular artery and how long it would take someone to die from the wound.

Jenny Hopkins, CPS head of counter terror, said: “Jack Renshaw was prepared to act on his white supremacist world view and plotted to kill a Member of Parliament – a plan reminiscent of the abhorrent murder of Jo Cox MP.”

Renshaw was also jailed for three years in 2018 for stirring up racial hatred in two anti-Semitic speeches in 2016.

BBC News

Jack Renshaw also sent explicit messages but claimed he was being framed by an anti facist group

Neo-Nazi Jack Renshaw offered a teenage boy £300 to spend the night with him

Neo-Nazi Jack Renshaw offered a teenage boy £300 to spend the night with him


A white supremacist groomed two children online by sending them explicit sexual pictures and offered one boy £300 for the night.

Jack Renshaw, from Skelmersdale, claimed he was set up by the anti fascist group Hope not Hate in a bid to discredit him.

The self-confessed Neo Nazi told the court that the group maliciously hacked his mobile phone and sent the sexual messages to the teenagers.

However, jurors believed he was lying and found him guilty of four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity during a trial at Preston Crown Court in June last year.

The former leader of the British National Party youth wing set up two fake Facebook profiles and contacted the boys, aged 13 and 14, between February 2016 and January 2017.

Using Facebook Messenger, Renshaw, boasted that he was rich, could give the boys jobs, asked for intimate pictures and even offered £300 to one boy spend the night with him.

Renshaw, who also plotted to kill local MP Rosie Cooper, was jailed for 16 months after one of the boys told a tutor about the messages and he was reported to police.

Police seized two Blackberry phones from his family’s then address in Blackpool but most of the internet history had been deleted.

However, officers recovered some material that included searches for homosexual pornography.

The 23-year-old also received a three-year prison sentence two months earlier when he was found guilty by a different jury at the same court of stirring up racial hatred after he called for the genocide of Jewish people.

Both cases can be fully reported following the end of proceedings he faced at the Old Bailey where a jury was unable to reach a verdict on a charge that he was a member of banned far-right group National Action.

Another two phones belonging to Renshaw were later recovered and they showed evidence of searches for homosexual pornography.

When interviewed, he told police he was heterosexual and a virgin who did not believe in sex outside of marriage, and viewed homosexuality as “unnatural”.

He went on to blame the police for putting material on his phone as he told them: “I believe this is a vicious, malicious attack to put me in prison, to ostracise me from the nationalist movement and to ostracise me from my family.”

But at his trial he said that was a “kneejerk reaction” and he told the jury he now believed Hope Not Hate had hacked all four phones by “some form of synchronised access”.

He said: “They are obsessed with me. They had a gripe with me for a long time.

“They have been writing articles about me since 2014.

“There was a pure hatred of me and everything I stand for.”

Cross-examined by prosecutor Louise Brandon, he dismissed the views of three experts who gave evidence that hacking had not taken place and explained he had some experience in the field as a technician at Dixons Retail where he resolved computer hitches for customers.

Miss Brandon said his suggestion of remote access to his phones was one worthy of a spy novel.

She said to him: “The reality of this is you know that if people whose views you want and whose opinions matter to you knew you were interested in men and young boys then they would cast you out.”

Renshaw replied: “That is not the case at all. The nationalist cause has gays in it. It’s just I’m not gay.”

Following his convictions for the child sex offences he was placed on the Sex Offender Register for 10 years and was told by Judge Robert Altham his 16-month jail term would start after he has completed his sentence for inciting racial hatred.

Renshaw had denied those offences, committed during a demonstration by a group named the North West Infidels on Blackpool Promenade in March 2016, and at a gathering of far-right extremists, the Yorkshire Forum For Nationalists, held the month before.

The court heard that the defendant had described Jewish people as parasites and called for them to be “eradicated” at the Yorkshire event, where he spoke to delegates from other far-right organisations.

During that sentencing hearing, Renshaw nodded his head in the dock as Judge Altham questioned whether he still held the same views as he had when he gave the two speeches.

The judge noted: “The defendant is resolute in his original views and withdraws nothing.

“He seeks to raise street armies, perpetrate violence against Jewish people and ultimately bring about genocide.”

Liverpool Echo

It was revealed in court he had groomed two underage boys online


The leader of banned neo-Nazi group National Action is a convicted paedophile who was jailed last year for grooming two underage boys online, it can now be revealed.

White supremacist Jack Renshaw set up two fake Facebook profiles and contacted the boys, aged 13 and 14, between February 2016 and January 2017.

Communicating via the Facebook Messenger app, Renshaw boasted to the youngsters that he was rich, could give them jobs and offered one of them £300 to spend the night with him.

He also requested intimate photographs of the pair before one of the boys reported the messages to his tutor and the police were contacted.

Renshaw claimed in his defence that an anti-fascist group made up the allegations to discredit him.

He said Hope Not Hate had maliciously hacked his mobile phones to send messages of a sexual nature to the teenagers.

But jurors at Preston Crown Court did not believe him, and convicted him of four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced to 16 months in jail.

Renshaw, 23, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, also received a three-year prison sentence two months earlier when he was found guilty by a different jury at the same court of stirring up racial hatred after he called for the genocide of Jewish people.

Both cases can be fully reported following the end of proceedings he faced at the Old Bailey – where a jury was unable to reach a verdict on a charge that he was a member of banned far-right group National Action.

Investigations led to the seizure of two BlackBerry phones from Renshaw’s then family address in Blackpool, Lancashire.

Much of the internet history on the phones had been deleted but officers used specialist software to retrieve some of the relevant material.

Another two phones belonging to Renshaw were later recovered and they showed evidence of searches for homosexual pornography.

When interviewed, he told police he was heterosexual and a virgin who did not believe in sex outside of marriage, and viewed homosexuality as “unnatural”.

He went on to blame the police for putting material on his phone as he told them: “I believe this is a vicious, malicious attack to put me in prison, to ostracise me from the nationalist movement and to ostracise me from my family.”

But at his trial he said that was a “kneejerk reaction” and he told the jury he now believed Hope Not Hate had hacked all four phones by “some form of synchronised access”.

He said: “They are obsessed with me. They had a gripe with me for a long time.

“They have been writing articles about me since 2014.

“There was a pure hatred of me and everything I stand for.”

Cross-examined by prosecutor Louise Brandon, he dismissed the views of three experts who gave evidence that hacking had not taken place and explained he had some experience in the field as a technician at Dixons Retail where he resolved computer hitches for customers.

Miss Brandon said his suggestion of remote access to his phones was one worthy of a spy novel.

She said to him: “The reality of this is you know that if people whose views you want and whose opinions matter to you knew you were interested in men and young boys then they would cast you out.”

Renshaw replied: “That is not the case at all. The nationalist cause has gays in it. It’s just I’m not gay.”

Following his convictions for the child sex offences he was placed on the Sex Offender Register for 10 years and was told by Judge Robert Altham his 16-month jail term would start after he has completed his sentence for inciting racial hatred.

Renshaw had denied those offences, committed during a demonstration by a group named the North West Infidels on Blackpool Promenade in March 2016, and at a gathering of far-right extremists, the Yorkshire Forum For Nationalists, held the month before.

The court heard that the defendant had described Jewish people as parasites and called for them to be “eradicated” at the Yorkshire event, where he spoke to delegates from other far-right organisations.

During that sentencing hearing, Renshaw nodded his head in the dock as Judge Altham questioned whether he still held the same views as he had when he gave the two speeches.

The judge noted: “The defendant is resolute in his original views and withdraws nothing.

“He seeks to raise street armies, perpetrate violence against Jewish people and ultimately bring about genocide.”

Huff Post

Lythgoe


Two men have been found guilty of being members of banned neo-Nazi group National Action.

Christopher Lythgoe, 32, of Warrington, and Matthew Hankinson, 24, of Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, were convicted after a trial lasting over five weeks.

Lythgoe was jailed for eight years and Hankinson for six.

Earlier in the trial, another man, Jack Renshaw, 23, of Skelmersdale, Lancs, admitted preparing an act of terrorism after buying a machete.

He admitted buying it for the purpose of murdering West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper.

A former National Action member, Robbie Mullen, warned the anti-racism charity Hope Not Hate of Renshaw’s plan, and they went to the police.

A total of six men were on trial at the Old Bailey, accused of being members of National Action.

Hankinson

‘Perverted ideology’

Lythgoe, the National Action leader, was found not guilty of encouragement to murder for allegedly giving Renshaw permission to kill Ms Cooper on behalf of the group.

Renshaw also admitted threatening to kill Det Con Victoria Henderson, who was investigating him for other matters.

Mr Justice Jay said group meetings after the ban were attempting to keeping alive an aspiration which was “truly insidious and evil: the idea that this country should be purged of its ethnic minorities and its Jews; that the rule of law should be subverted; and that once the ideological revolution had taken place this national socialist world view would triumph”.

Sentencing Lythgoe, he said: “You are a fully-fledged neo-Nazi replete with concomitant deep-seated, entrenched racism and anti-Semitism.”

The judge told Hankinson: “You too are a neo-Nazi who glorifies and revels in a perverted ideology, has a deep hatred of ethnic minorities and Jews and has advocated violence to achieve your objectives.”

Racial hatred conviction

Jurors were unable to decide either whether Renshaw had remained a member of National Action after it was banned, or whether two other men – Michal Trubini, 35, from Warrington and Andrew Clarke, 33, from Prescot, Merseyside – were guilty of the same charge.

Another defendant – Garron Helm, 24, from Seaforth in Merseyside – was found not guilty of being a member of the group.

It can also now be reported that Renshaw was convicted earlier this year of two counts of stirring up racial hatred in speeches he made in 2016.

National Action, which was founded in 2013, was the first extreme right-wing group to be banned in the UK.

It was proscribed in December 2016 after it was assessed as being “concerned in terrorism”.

Earlier that year, the group had celebrated the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox by a white supremacist, which the government said amounted to the unlawful glorification of terrorism.

BBC News

Renshaw admitted plotting to kill MP Rosie Cooper

Renshaw admitted plotting to kill MP Rosie Cooper

An alleged member of the banned neo-Nazi group National Action has admitted to plotting to kill a British MP and making threats to kill a police officer.

Jack Renshaw, 23, of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, bought a Gladius machete to kill the West Lancashire Labour MP Rosie Cooper last summer.

On the opening day of his trial at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, Renshaw pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism and making threats to kill a police officer, DC Victoria Henderson.

The judge, Mr Justice Robert Jay, directed the jury to deliver a formal guilty verdict on the two charges. Renshaw also faces a third charge of membership of the banned far right group, which he denies.

He is on trial alongside Christopher Lythgoe, 32, from Warrington, who is charged with encouraging Renshaw to murder Cooper on behalf of National Action, believing the act would be committed. He denies the charges.

Four other men – Garron Helm, 24, of Seaforth, Merseyside; Matthew Hankinson, 24, of Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside; Andrew Clark, 33, and Michael Trubini, 35, both of Warrington – are also charged with membership of National Action. They deny the charge.

The court heard that Renshaw had bought the machete to kill Cooper between 5 June and 3 July last year. He made threats while in a pub in Warrington on 1 July last year, it was alleged.

Duncan Atkinson, prosecuting, told the court that National Action had engaged since 2013 in a campaign of “virulently racist, antisemitic and homophobic propaganda through which it sought to stir up a violent ‘race war’ against ethnic minorities and others it perceived as ‘race traitors’.”

He said the group “actively sought to recruit and radicalise young people through the violent imagery and hate-filled language of its social media messages, its provocative street demonstrations and intimidation of local communities”.

It was such activities, culminating it its support of the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox in June 2016, that led to its proscription by the home secretary in December 2016.

The court heard how a significant amount of evidence came from a former member of National Action called Robbie Mullen. Mullen, the prosecution said, told how the group, under the leadership of Lythgoe, continued to function post-proscription, with the primary desire to start a race war and to free “white Britain”.

Other sources of evidence included material found at the defendants’ addresses and on their electronic devices, including communications with each other. All of the defendants are alleged to be part of the north-west area groups, which met at a pub in Warrington called the Friar Penketh.

The prosecution said Renshaw planned to engage in politically motivated murder, and sought the approval of the organisation and hoped to advance its cause through this killing. His motivation was also personal, the court heard.

Renshaw was arrested on 11 January 2017 on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred. He was interviewed by an officer called DC Victoria Henderson and a male police officer, before being released pending further investigation.

On Renshaw’s arrest, a phone was recovered and analysed, revealing what police considered to be evidence of child sex offences (grooming), the court heard. Renshaw was again arrested and interviewed in respect of those allegations on 19 May 2017, again by a team including Henderson.

On 1 July 2017, the prosecution said there was a meeting at the Friar Penketh pub attended by most of the defendants. Mullen was also there.

At this meeting, Renshaw told the group he was planning to kill his local member of parliament, Cooper. “She was of the same party, Labour, as Jo Cox MP had been: she was therefore perceived to have the same support for immigration to this country that has been advanced as a reason for Jo Cox’s death, and more especially for National Action’s support for the actions of her murderer,” Atkinson said.

During the meeting Renshaw said that after killing Cooper he would take some people hostage and would demand that DC Henderson attended the scene. “His plan then would be to kill the officer who was, he said, his real target,” Atkinson said.

Renshaw said he had already purchased the machete that he would use to carry out the killing. The weapon, marketed online as offering “19 inches of unprecedented piercing and slashing power at a bargain price”, was later found by police hidden in an airing cupboard.

Renshaw’s internet search history also related to wounding and his identified target, Cooper.

The court heard how nothing of significance would happen without Lythgoe’s approval, and that was why Renshaw brought up the plan. Lythgoe’s alleged response was to give his consent by saying “don’t fuck it up”. He also advised Renshaw to take precautions to ensure his media devices were not linked to other members in the group, the court heard.

Atkinson, prosecuting, said: “The politically and racially motivated killing of an MP would be an act of terrorism, and Renshaw is charged with preparing to carry out just an act.”

Mullen, believing that Renshaw was serious and there was a real and imminent threat to life, reported what had been said to his contacts at Hope Not Hate, after which Cooper was warned of the threat and a police investigation was launched.

National Action was the first extreme rightwing group to be proscribed since the second world war, and the 85th group to be proscribed in the UK overall.
The Guardian

Jack Renshaw, 23, of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, bought a Gladius Machete to kill Rosie Cooper last summer

Jack Renshaw has admitted plotting to kill the MP

Jack Renshaw has admitted plotting to kill the MP

An alleged National Action member has admitted plotting to murder an MP.

Jack Renshaw, 23, of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, bought a Gladius Machete to kill Rosie Cooper last summer.

On the opening day of his trial, Renshaw pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism as well as making a threat to kill police officer Victoria Henderson.

Judge Mr Justice Jay directed the jury to deliver a formal guilty verdict on the first two charges Renshaw faces.

He is on trial alongside Christopher Lythgoe, 32, from Warrington, who denies giving Renshaw permission to murder the West Lancashire MP on behalf of National Action on July 1 last year.

Renshaw admitted plotting to kill MP Rosie Cooper

Renshaw admitted plotting to kill MP Rosie Cooper

The pair, along with Garron Helm, 24, of Seaforth, Merseyside, Matthew Hankinson, 24, of Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, Andrew Clarke, 33, and Michal Trubini, 35, both of Warrington, also deny membership of the banned far right group.

The case continues in court.

 Court sketch of the accused sat in the Old Bailey (Image: Julia Quenzler / SWNS.com)

Court sketch of the accused sat in the Old Bailey (Image: Julia Quenzler / SWNS.com)

Daily Mirror