Durham teenage neo-Nazi convicted of planning terrorist acts

The 16-year-old boy was found guilty of six terrorism offences.

He drafted his own manifesto entitled A Manual For Practical And Sensible Guerrilla Warfare Against The Kike System In The Durham City Area, Sieg Heil.

Targets in Durham such as schools, pubs, council buildings and post offices were identified in the first chapter, Areas To Attack.

The youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, wrote of planning to conduct an arson spree with Molotov cocktails on local synagogues.

Various handwritten documents were seized from his bedroom in March by police who also found a collection of far-right literature, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Analysis of his computer devices and mobile phone uncovered numerous internet searches on firearms, explosives and knives.

On Wednesday, November 20, a jury found him guilty of preparation of terrorist acts between October 2017 and March this year. He will be sentenced on January 7, 2020.

The teenager, who described himself as a neo Nazi, wrote of his pride as an alpha fascist youth member through numerous online platforms and shared his unhealthy appetite for extreme right wing material with others.

He downloaded, read and shared an extensive amount of prohibited publications and literature, not only further developing and affirming his own disturbing views, but encouraging others to share the same.

His prolonged, sustained searches of race-hate material and ‘lone actor’ attacks sought out detail of some of the most shocking and atrocious mass killings from the US and Europe in recent times.

Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “Young people can be vulnerable to external influences, in the real world and online, which can shape their views and inform their actions.

“Where possible we would always seek to intervene, support and safeguard them from all forms of the powerful manipulation they can be exposed to.

“Unfortunately this option may not be available to us if their behaviour or actions have already gone too far. Public safety remains our priority and whenever there is a threat to our communities we will always take appropriate and necessary action.

“The extreme right wing views and hateful rhetoric displayed by this teenager are deeply concerning and we cannot account for those who may have been susceptible to his influence or how they may act in the future.

“His extensive repetitious internet searches, diary entries and escalating behaviour combined with his desire for notoriety highlight how dangerous he could have become had he not come to the attention of the authorities.

“Whilst no single target for an attack was identified the handwritten expression of his mind set combined with his aspiration to commit violence towards others cannot be underestimated and could not go unprosecuted.”