Three far-right extremists who amassed an arsenal of more than 200 weapons whilst planning deadly terrorist attacks on mosques and synagogues have been jailed for a combined 29 years at Sheffield Crown Court.
Brogan Stewart, 25, Christopher Ringrose, 34, and Marco Pitzettu, 25, were sentenced on Friday after being convicted in May of preparing acts of terrorism and collecting information useful for committing terrorist offences. Stewart received 11 years, Ringrose 10 years, and Pitzettu eight years from Mrs Justice Cutts, who stated she believed all three continued to adhere to their extreme right-wing ideology.
The trio, who had never met in person before appearing together in the dock, were exposed after counter-terrorism officers infiltrated their online group in January 2024. They were arrested on 20 February 2024 following an intelligence-led investigation that discovered the men were intent on carrying out a violent attack.
Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC told the court the three defendants were followers of an extreme right-wing Nazi ideology who justified, encouraged and glorified serious violence against and killing of persons of other races, effectively seen as inferior and unworthy of human dignity or indeed life.
Arsenal of Hate
Over 200 weapons were seized from the home addresses of the subjects, alongside riot gear, body armour and ration packs. The weapons included machetes, hunting knives, swords, and crossbows. Pitzettu had obtained an illegal stun gun, whilst Ringrose had 3D-printed most of the components of a semi-automatic firearm and was attempting to acquire the remaining parts.
The court heard Stewart formed a Telegram group called Einsatz 14 in January 2024, naming it after Adolf Hitler’s notorious SS death squads. Stewart called himself the “Fuhrer” of the group and appointed Ringrose and Pitzettu as “armourers”. Unknown to the defendants, three of the seven members were undercover police officers.
Stewart developed a mission statement for the group which stated its basic duties included targeting mosques, Islamic education centres and other similar locations.
Race War Ideology
The nine-week trial heard chilling details of the group’s ideology and planning. Stewart posted a video of himself wearing a German army helmet, a Nazi armband and a skull face covering, whilst making racist comments about the then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
In January 2024, Stewart told an undercover officer called Blackheart on the encrypted Telegram platform that he wanted to establish a new einsatzgruppe. He sent the officer details of the Islamic Education Centre on Mexborough Road in Leeds, including a Google Maps image.
In a group call on 5 February 2024, the trio discussed their planned operation. They spoke about cruising around looking for human targets near an Islamic education centre, stating they would carry out their attack, then return for tea and medals and a debrief.
The court heard that in January and February they were planning their first attack, which was to be the first of a number of operations escalating in nature, and had identified a target, which the trial heard was an Islamic education centre in Leeds.
Police Infiltration Stops Attack
Counter-terrorism officers moved swiftly once they identified the imminent threat. Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, provided stark testimony about the danger posed by the group.
“Stewart, Pitzettu, and Ringrose have today been rightfully convicted of multiple terrorism offences. They were a group that espoused vile racist views and advocated for violence, all to support their extreme right-wing mindset,” he stated.
“I genuinely believe had we not taken action, this group could’ve carried out a violent attack and the consequences of that attack could’ve been fatal,” Dunkerley added.
The detective chief superintendent explained how the group came together through their extreme racist views. “They’ve idolised the Nazi party, they’ve glorified mass murders, and they share a hatred of groups such as the Jewish community and the Muslim community,” he said.
Defence Claims Rejected
Throughout the trial, the defendants claimed they were merely fantasists engaged in harmless online chat with no genuine intention to carry out attacks. The jury roundly rejected these claims, with Detective Chief Superintendent Dunkerley noting that all three took real world steps to plan and prepare for carrying out an attack on innocent citizens.
In mitigation for Pitzettu, the court heard he had shown a positive outlook and attitude in prison, whilst Ringrose was said to have withdrawn from the group before they were arrested. However, these arguments failed to sway the judge from imposing substantial sentences.
Growing Threat of Far-Right Extremism
The case highlights the evolving threat of far-right terrorism in Britain. The self-styled militant online group provided an echo chamber of extreme right-wing views where they shared horrific racial slurs, glorified mass murderers and encouraged violence against anyone deemed an enemy.
Counter Terrorism Policing North East emphasised the importance of public vigilance. “Counter Terrorism Policing work around the clock to prevent terrorism reaching our communities and we constantly advance our capabilities so that groups like this cannot hide. The public’s support is vital to our mission to keep people safe,” officials stated.
The successful prosecution serves as a reminder of the deadly potential of online extremism when combined with real-world preparation. “Had Christopher Ringrose managed to completely finish building the 3D-printed semi-automatic firearm that he had started to, it could have been used leading to devastating consequences,” investigators warned.
All three men were found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism and collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism. Ringrose was additionally convicted of manufacturing a prohibited weapon, whilst Pitzettu had previously pleaded guilty to possessing an illegal stun gun.
The Islamic Education Centre in Leeds, which was identified as the primary target, remains operational. Counter-terrorism officials continue to work with communities across Britain to identify and disrupt extremist threats before they can materialise into violence.
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