Neo-Nazi with 'armoury' in Falkirk home guilty of terror offences
Neo-Nazi with 'armoury' in Falkirk home guilty of terror offences
Alan Edward discussed attacking an LBGT group in Falkirk and wrote racist and anti-Semitic posts.
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.
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".
Well, he seems like a nice sort of chap.
2racism, anti-Semitism, holocaust denial
These things are not criminal offences. Presumably he was convicted of a hate crime, not "racism". Poor reporting.
2The Falkirk Herald supplies the most detail:
A jury found Edward, of Wholequarter Avenue, guilty of four charges under the Terrorism Act – inviting support for a proscribed organisation; possession of weaponry, ammunition and equipment for the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorist acts; and encouraging terrorism and circulating terrorist publications.
He was also found guilty of racism, anti-semitism, Holocaust denial, and statutory breach of the peace. All these offences he denied.
He was further found guilty of producing and supplying cannabis and possessing the stun gun – which he had offered to admit before the trial began.
As the wording in other reports is very similar they either cribbed from that or everyone is using the same pool reporter. I'd assume most of the vague crimes are classed as malicious communication under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.
1