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Neo-Nazi found with home ‘armoury’ guilty of terrorism offences

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September 17, 2024
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A neo-Nazi who amassed an “armoury” at his home in Stirlingshire has been found guilty of crimes including plans to commit an act of terrorism.

Alan Edward, who had nearly 28,000 followers on social media, had discussed an attack on a LBGT group in Falkirk, the High Court in Stirling heard.

The 54-year-old was arrested after armed police surrounded his end-terrace house in Redding, Falkirk, in September 2022 and broke down his front door.

He denied all the offences, but a jury found him guilty of charges under the Terrorism Act, racism, anti-Semitism, holocaust denial and breach of the peace.

The trial heard that Edward wrote the “the quickest way to someone’s heart is with a high power 7.62mm round”.

Police found weapons and equipment including a crossbow, 14 knives – some with Nazi and SS insignia, machetes, a tomahawk, a samurai sword, knuckledusters, a catapult, an extendable baton and a stun gun.

They also found an air pistol, an SS-style skull mask, goggles and a respirator, fighting gloves with hardened knuckles, pellets, ball bearings, and hunting tips for crossbow arrows.

Prosecutors said it amounted to “an armoury” of weapons.

Edward also had an indoor cannabis plantation that he was growing to sell.

The court heard he possessed and expressed “a set of ideals with a neo-Nazi outlook, incorporating notions of white supremacy, the notion of racial purity of whites, racism, anti-semitism, and hatred of homosexuals and transgender people”.

Sinister exchanges

A document found on his computer referred to Norweigian neo-Nazi mass murderer Anders Breivik as “Saint Anders”.

Checks on his WhatsApp account found he had been messaging an associate in nearby Grangemouth about the proposed attack on an LBGT group.

In a series of exchanges described by the prosecution as “incredibly sinister”, he said: “They have been pushing their luck for years, now they will pay in blood.”

He added: “We should get masked up and go do a few of them in at their little gay club.”

Other messages targeted communists and Jews.

The court also heard that Edward had two accounts on Gab, a free speech social media platform popular with the far right.

He came to the attention of counter-terrorism investigators after posting a video of a National Action rally held in 2016 – shortly before it became the first far-right group to be proscribed in the UK under the Terrorism Act.

Prosecutor Paul Kearney KC said Edward was “a man who with clear neo-Nazi ideals – preparing for an act of terrorism which would include an ideologically-driven incident of serious violence”.

Judge Fiona Tait deferred sentence until 21 October at the High Court in Edinburgh.

BBC News

Far-right extremist convicted of terrorism offences

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August 10, 2024
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A far-right extremist has been convicted of terrorism offences after he shared videos online related to the making of explosives.

Police seized books, masks and memorabilia of an extreme right-wing nature, as well as a 3D-printed firearm, from Gabriel Budasz’s accommodation in August 2023.

The 24-year-old, of Drove Road in Weston-Super-Mare, was found guilty of various terror offences at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday.

Police said content shared by Budasz online was “incredibly dangerous to those vulnerable to radicalisation”.

After a search warrant was executed at Budasz’s house, he was asked to turn off his computer with his leg while he was handcuffed, but he refused.

Prosecutors seized Budasz’s mobile and computer devices and found he used a number of social media sites under different usernames to post extreme right-wing material.

‘A warning’

Det Ch Supt Olly Wright, head of Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE), said: “The material contained his extreme right-wing views encouraging violence to further the hateful ideology which he espoused.

“Making this kind of content available online spreads and encourages terrorist ideology and is incredibly dangerous to those vulnerable to radicalisation.

“Unfortunately, the harm that can be caused by those who seek to provoke violence online to further their cause has been only too evident across the country in recent weeks.”

He added that the case should “serve as a warning” that police would “take robust action against those who commit these serious and harmful offences”.

Budasz was found guilty of one count of dissemination of a terrorist publication, four counts of encouraging terrorism and one count of sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

He had previously pleaded guilty to six counts of possession of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism at a previous hearing at the Old Bailey on 22 December 2023.

Budasz will be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on 25 October.

BBC News

Far-right extremist convicted of terrorism offences

By
August 10, 2024
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A far-right extremist has been convicted of terrorism offences after he shared videos online related to the making of explosives.

Police seized books, masks and memorabilia of an extreme right-wing nature, as well as a 3D-printed firearm, from Gabriel Budasz’s accommodation in August 2023.

The 24-year-old, of Drove Road in Weston-Super-Mare, was found guilty of various terror offences at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday.

Police said content shared by Budasz online was “incredibly dangerous to those vulnerable to radicalisation”.

After a search warrant was executed at Budasz’s house, he was asked to turn off his computer with his leg while he was handcuffed, but he refused.

Prosecutors seized Budasz’s mobile and computer devices and found he used a number of social media sites under different usernames to post extreme right-wing material.
‘A warning’

Det Ch Supt Olly Wright, head of Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE), said: “The material contained his extreme right-wing views encouraging violence to further the hateful ideology which he espoused.

“Making this kind of content available online spreads and encourages terrorist ideology and is incredibly dangerous to those vulnerable to radicalisation.

“Unfortunately, the harm that can be caused by those who seek to provoke violence online to further their cause has been only too evident across the country in recent weeks.”

He added that the case should “serve as a warning” that police would “take robust action against those who commit these serious and harmful offences”.

Budasz was found guilty of one count of dissemination of a terrorist publication, four counts of encouraging terrorism and one count of sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

He had previously pleaded guilty to six counts of possession of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism at a previous hearing at the Old Bailey on 22 December 2023.

Budasz will be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on 25 October.

BBC News

Welsh man who boasted about how white his hometown was jailed for nine years

By
August 10, 2024
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Gareth Waite shared ‘ethnic cleansing operations’ documents and ‘CIA explosives for sabotage’ manual

A neo-nazi from Wales who bragged that his hometown was “97% white” has been jailed. Gareth Waite from Cardigan was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison following a three-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court.

During his trial the Mirror reported how 47-year-old Waite uploaded several “strategy” documents relating to a proscribed far-right terrorist organisation National Action. The terrorist publications included The Anarchist Handbook, How to Start and Train a Militia Unit, CIA explosives for sabotage manual, and 100 deadly skills.

Officers began investigating Waite after he boasted about the number of white people in his hometown of Cardigan. He had also uploaded an ethnic cleansing operation document, as well as two National Action strategy documents and Adolf Hitler’s autobiography Mein Kampf.

When he appeared in court earlier this year, the Mirror reported that prosecutor Maryam Syed KC said: “In August 2019 somebody with the username 8bit uploaded to the world future mx website the following documents. National Action is a far right neo-Nazi organisation and is based in the UK.

“It was founded in 2013 and the group is secretive and has rules to prevent members from talking about it openly. It has been a proscribed banned organisation in the UK since the terrorism act of 2000 made it so on December 16 2016.

“Enquiries were then carried out to identify who this individual was… He was also identified because he used a Pepe the Frog meme with a pink bra over the eyes as a profile picture on several of his anonymous online accounts. 8bit also had accounts on something called Keybase and world truth mx social. World truth mx media – it’s a social media site and it’s a free speech site and it is populated predominantly with right wing content. These are social media platforms. When the police checked the accounts the username ‘8bitkek’ stated in its biography: National Socialist Wales.”

Following an investigation led by Counter Terrorism Policing Wales, Waite was found guilty by jury of four offences of disseminating a terrorist publication, and two offences of possession of material of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. He had also previously pleaded guilty to one offence of support of a proscribed organisation, namely National Action.

Detective chief inspector Leanne Williams, head of investigations at Counter Terrorism Policing Wales (CTP Wales), said: “We welcome the sentence handed down by the court today. This concludes what was a detailed, thorough, and complex investigation over many months by officers from CTP Wales, assisted by colleagues in Dyfed Powys Police.”

Wales Online

Far-right extremist who hosted terror websites viewed by Buffalo gunman jailed

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August 2, 2024
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Colin McNeil, from Leeds, was given an extended sentence over the two websites that spread far-right propaganda.

A far-right extremist who hosted terror websites viewed by Buffalo gunman Payton Gendron has been jailed for seven years.

Colin McNeil, from Leeds, was given an extended sentence over the two websites that spread far-right propaganda, glorified Hitler and encouraged terrorism.

The 46-year-old was told he will spend seven years in custody and four years on extended licence after pleading guilty at Sheffield Crown Court to four offences of disseminating a terrorist publication.

He will also be subject to a terrorist notification order for 30 years.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the websites hosted by McNeil honoured men who committed racist mass killings, including Brenton Tarrant, who murdered 51 people in and around two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.

He did not create the material but provided a platform for it to reach its audience, which included people who were inclined towards terrorism, police said.

Among the users of the website was Gendron, 18, who went on to murder 10 people in a mass shooting at a grocery shop in Buffalo in the US in 2022.

The CPS said evidence was able to show his engagement with the websites through likes and comments on racist material hosted on them.

Counter Terrorism Policing North East said the website was “deliberately, and very publicly, unmoderated”, with McNeil admitting in a police interview that he knew the site had been “swamped” by material supporting extreme right-wing ideologies.

McNeil benefited financially from the websites, receiving donations from users, and also used the sites to express his own racist views.

One of the sites, which operated like a typical social media platform, had 5,716 members, with 255,960 photos and 6,499 videos uploaded.

The other site, set up for videos, hosted 12,345 members and contained 79,284 videos.

This site also had an option to upgrade to a “pro” member for 50 US dollars (£39), which would allow the user to post ad-free videos, sell videos, and to livestream.

Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Colin McNeil allowed his websites to operate as propaganda platforms for far-right terrorist material.

“He profited from the sites in the form of donations from users, and it is clear that others were inspired by the hateful and racist material they were able to access online – including those from overseas.

“McNeil’s actions were quite deliberate; he knew full well that there was a risk that terrorism would be encouraged and yet he permitted access to such material anyway.”

McNeil was arrested in March 2022 following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing North East.

London Evening Standard

Teen who wrote far-right slogans in exam sentenced

By
July 17, 2024
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A 16-year-old boy who scrawled far-right slogans on a mock GCSE exam paper and filled notebooks with racist thoughts has been sentenced.

The teenager, from Stockton-on-Tees, who cannot be named because of his age, had admitted 10 terrorism offences including dissemination of terrorist publications and racially aggravated criminal damage.

Leeds Crown Court heard how teachers at the boy’s school were so concerned about his behaviour that they reported him to counter-terrorism police.

The judge, Tom Bayliss KC, said even though the boy “deserved” to be jailed, he had decided to sentence him to a three-year youth rehabilitation order.

He was also made subject to a criminal behaviour order for three years.

The hearing heard that the boy’s teachers told police he drew a picture of Auschwitz concentration camp and wrote “lies” on the image.

When officers went to his home in December 2023, his mother showed them a catalogue of extreme right-wing material, including a drawing of a gas mask and a written slogan suggesting not enough people had died in the Holocaust.

‘Groomed online’

Police also discovered 78 chats the boy had engaged with on the Telegram platform, which included the sharing of videos of terror atrocities.

In one, the defendant had added a soundtrack to a live stream video of the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand.

The court also heard that the police found a video of the teenager wearing a skull mask and throwing a petrol bomb.

In mitigation, the court heard the boy was “very vulnerable” and had been groomed after speaking to other people during online role play games.

BBC News

Fitness guru ‘Charlie Big Potatoes’ admits sharing terrorist documents

By
March 1, 2023
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Kristofer Thomas Kearney – known online as Charlie Big Potatoes – was extradited from Alicante to face charges last year

An alleged far-right fitness guru for a British group known as Patriotic Alternative has admitted sharing a stash of terrorist documents on social media.

Kristofer Thomas Kearney, 38, is originally from Liverpool but was based in Alicante before he was extradited from Spain to face charges last September.

On Wednesday, Kearney, who was known online as Charlie Big Potatoes, pleaded guilty to two offences of disseminating terrorist publications.

Kearney, who entered his plea at the Old Bailey by video link from Chelmsford prison, is believed to be the first member of Patriotic Alternative to be convicted of terrorist offences. The offences related to two Telegram posts on January 23 and March 8 2021 which disseminated dozens of documents glorifying and encouraging extreme right-wing terror attacks.

Ged O’Connor, defending, told the court Kearney’s pleas were on the basis he was “reckless” as to whether the effect of his conduct was to encourage terrorism. However, prosecutor Naomi Parsons told the court the Crown’s case was “consistent with intent”.

Judge Richard Marks KC said the issue of Kearney’s motivation would be decided at a two-day hearing on May 4 and 5 before he passes sentence. Kearney is alleged to have created a Telegram channel entitled “Charlie Big Potatoes” in November 2020.

In 2021, he posted a numbered list and links to some 89 extreme right-wing documents. Among them were the manifestos of Anders Breivik, who murdered 77 people in Norway, and that of Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Two other far-right extremist manifestos related to Texas Walmart mass killer Patrick Crusius and John Earnest, who shot people at a Californian synagogue in 2019.

Kearney’s motivation in making the terrorist material available was said to be in the context of his racist ideology and support for Patriotic Alternative, whose policies including deporting non-whites.

Previously, Kearney is said to have been an active member of neo-Nazi group National Action until a week before it was banned in December 2016 for glorifying the murder of MP Jo Cox.

He then switched to Patriotic Alternative, another extreme right-wing organisation that is not currently proscribed by Government, it is claimed. It is believed he became “head of fitness” at Patriotic Alternative and regularly shared posts from its accounts such as White Lives Matter banners.

Liverpool Echo

First alleged member of far-right Patriotic Alternative admits terror charges

By
March 1, 2023
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An alleged far-right fitness guru for a British group known as Patriotic Alternative has admitted sharing a stash of terrorist documents on social media.

Kristofer Thomas Kearney, 38, is originally from Liverpool but was based in Alicante before he was extradited from Spain to face charges last September.

On Wednesday, Kearney, who was known online as Charlie Big Potatoes, pleaded guilty to two offences of disseminating terrorist publications.

Kearney, who entered his plea at the Old Bailey by video link from Chelmsford prison, is believed to be the first member of Patriotic Alternative to be convicted of terrorist offences.

The offences related to two Telegram posts on January 23 and March 8 2021 which disseminated dozens of documents glorifying and encouraging extreme right-wing terror attacks.

Ged O’Connor, defending, told the court Kearney’s pleas were on the basis he was “reckless” as to whether the effect of his conduct was to encourage terrorism.

However, prosecutor Naomi Parsons told the court the Crown’s case was “consistent with intent”.

Judge Richard Marks KC said the issue of Kearney’s motivation would be decided at a two-day hearing on May 4 and 5 before he passes sentence.

Kearney is alleged to have created a Telegram channel entitled “Charlie Big Potatoes” in November 2020.

In 2021, he posted a numbered list and links to some 89 extreme right-wing documents.

Among them were the manifestos of Anders Breivik, who murdered 77 people in Norway, and that of Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Two other far-right extremist manifestos related to Texas Walmart mass killer Patrick Crusius and John Earnest, who shot people at a Californian synagogue in 2019.

Kearney’s motivation in making the terrorist material available was said to be in the context of his racist ideology and support for Patriotic Alternative, whose policies including deporting non-whites.

Previously, Kearney is said to have been an active member of neo-Nazi group National Action until a week before it was banned in December 2016 for glorifying the murder of MP Jo Cox.

He then switched to Patriotic Alternative, another extreme right-wing organisation that is not currently proscribed by Government, it is claimed.

It is believed he became “head of fitness” at Patriotic Alternative and regularly shared posts from its accounts such as White Lives Matter banners.

He also set up a channel called “Fascist Fitness” to hand out exercise and fitness tips.

Kearney, who spoke only to enter his guilty pleas, was remanded into custody until his next hearing at the Old Bailey.

County Press

Far-right Army reject convicted of collecting terror documents

By
February 17, 2023
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Doorman Sejr Forster had briefly joined the Army but was discharged due to his association with National Action.

A far-right British Army reject has been found guilty of having bomb-making manuals.

Doorman Sejr Forster, 25, from Norwich, was convicted at the Old Bailey of collecting terrorist publications following a trial.

The court was told Forster had joined the Army in May 2016, but was “ultimately deemed unsuitable” after engaging in “extreme-right rhetoric”.

He had earlier been excluded from college for his views in May 2013.

Ben Lloyd, prosecuting, said: “In May 2022, he said in summary that he accepted that he had been involved with the far-right since he was aged about 13.

“His interest had been in EDL (English Defence League) and National Action (NA), which at school led to him being referred to Prevent.

“He had engaged with Prevent for about seven months. He had briefly joined the Army but was discharged due to his association with National Action.

“When NA was legal, he had been involved in printing off posters for them.

“In the past, he described himself as being ‘obsessed’ with right-wing culture.”

NA was proscribed by the Government following the murder of MP Jo Cox in 2016.

When police officers searched Forster’s home last year, they discovered a stash of extremist material.

Mr Lloyd said: “This material shows that the defendant was fascinated by extreme right views.

“In fact, the prosecution says this material shows that he shared those views and beliefs himself.

“He also had an interest in weapons, things like guns, knives, and explosives.

“It is why he looked at and downloaded the material onto his telephone.”

Mr Lloyd rejected the suggestion the defendant clicked on the documents but did not intend to download them.

On Friday, Forster was found guilty of two counts of collecting of a terrorist publications.

One related to The Advanced Anarchist Arsenal which was downloaded on his mobile device and included viable instructions for the manufacture of explosive substances.

The other charge related to a hard copy book called US Army Improvised Munitions Handbook on the manufacture of explosive substances.

Before his trial, Forster had pleaded guilty to possessing an item described as a DIY Sheet Metal Self-Loading Pistol – Practical Scrap Metal Small Arms, an “illustrated guide” for producing a firearm.

Forster was acquitted of having a document named Middle Eastern Terrorist – Bomb Designs, which was said to detail the construction of explosive devices.

A jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for less than four hours to reach their verdicts.

Forster was remanded into custody to be sentenced at a later date.

Evening Standard

Norwich: Man, 25, goes on trial for terror offences

By
February 14, 2023
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A neo-Nazi former soldier accused of possessing terrorist publications had been obsessed with the far right since the age of 13, a court has heard.

The Norwich 25-year-old – who the court has ruled can only be named as S Forster – is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of having materials that included designs and instructions for making explosives, incendiary devices and bombs.

He denies three charges of possessing information likely to be “useful” to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Forster – had joined the Royal Anglian Regiment in May 2016, but was discharged after basic training because he was “ultimately deemed unsuitable” after engaging in “extreme-right rhetoric”, the court heard.

Ben Lloyd, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was fascinated by extreme right wing views and the prosecution says that the material involved in this case shows he shared such views and beliefs himself.

“He also had an interest in weapons like guns, knives and explosives.”

A jury at the central criminal court was told he had accepted that he had been involved with the far right since he was aged about 13 and that his school books included doodles stating ‘vote National Front’.

He was excluded from college in Norwich in May 2015 over his views and a student supervisor had referred him to the Prevent programme where he had admitted being a youth recruiter for far right group National Action (NA).

He also said he had attended events with former BNP leader Nick Griffin, written anti-semitic graffiti and posted that David Cameron “should be hung”.

“He engaged with Prevent for about seven months. He had briefly joined the army but was discharged due to his association with National Action,” said Mr Lloyd.

“When NA was legal, he had been involved in printing off posters for them.

“In the past, he described himself as being ‘obsessed’ with right wing culture.”

Police who raided his one-bedroom flat on Cardiff Road in Norwich’s Golden Triangle on April 6 last year discovered on Forster’s phone a 24-page document named Middle Eastern Terrorist – Bomb Designs.

It included diagrams and instructions for making make-shift weapons including gasoline and cement bombs and a chemical firing device.

Officers also found The Advanced Anarchist Arsenal downloaded on his mobile device and a hard copy of a book called US Army Improvised Munitions Handbook.

“For good reason the law makes it a criminal offence to possess material that could be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism,” said Mr Lloyd.

He added: “The prosecution does not allege that this defendant was actively making plans himself to commit a terrorist act.”

The court heard Forster’s flat contained pictures of Adolf Hitler and weapons, a National Front poster and stickers and other far right materials.

Police also found copies of The Great Replacement, an online manifesto penned by New Zealand mosque mass shooter Brenton Tarrant, and Seizure, the collected writings of notorious US neo-Nazi James Mason.

Phone files and online searches included items on ethnic cleansing, guns, militaria as well as National Action and Combat 18, the court heard.

Forster has pleaded guilty to possessing an item called the DIY Sheet Metal Self-Loading Pistol – Practical Scrap Metal Small Arms, an “illustrated guide” for producing a firearm.

Mr Lloyd said the defendant may argue he clicked on the documents but did not intend to download them and that he acquired the book from the internet.

He went on: “The prosecution say those suggestions are untenable. The defendant knowingly obtained and stored this material.

“It is not plausible to suggest he did not know he had the material. Even if he did there can be no reasonable excuse for possessing any of the items.”

The trial continues.

Eastern Daily Press