Alfie Coleman, a 22-year-old neo-Nazi from Great Notley, Essex, has been sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison, with an additional five years on extended licence, for planning a mass gun attack. He was found guilty of preparing for terrorist acts following a retrial at the Old Bailey.
Radicalisation from Age 14
Coleman first began accessing extreme right-wing material online at age 14, downloading a neo-Nazi text onto his iPad. Judge Richard Marks KC described his views as “virulently racist” and deemed him a “dangerous offender.” The judge noted that Coleman claimed his statements were merely “intrusive thoughts” and not reflective of his real beliefs, but the court rejected this defence.
Undercover MI5 Operation
Authorities became alerted to Coleman in summer 2023 when he grew active on extreme right-wing online groups. Undercover MI5 officers engaged with him in encrypted chats as he sought to purchase weapons. On September 29, 2023, Coleman arranged to buy a Makarov pistol, five magazines, and 200 rounds of ammunition from an undercover officer in a Morrisons car park in Stratford, east London. He dropped £3,500 in a Land Rover Discovery and picked up a holdall containing the handgun and ammunition, but was immediately confronted by armed counter-terrorism police and forced to the ground.
Evidence of Murderous Ideology
A search of Coleman's home revealed extensive evidence of his extremist ideology. Officers found a diary containing a “manifesto” listing potential targets, including the Lord Mayor of London and a mosque. He had compiled a hate list of Tesco colleagues and customers, branding them with racial slurs or as “race traitors.” Police also discovered a rock painted with a Swastika, a Black Sun flag associated with neo-Nazism, extreme right-wing books, a collection of knives, a small stone axe, an air rifle, and a device to detect bugs and secret cameras. He had £2,500 in savings and had idolised Thomas Mair, the extremist who murdered MP Jo Cox.
Plans for Attack
In July 2021, Coleman emailed the far-right organisation Patriotic Alternative expressing a desire to participate in activism. He later wrote plans for potential terrorist attacks, including hijacking a plane, targeting the Lord Mayor's home, using explosives in a cash machine, and employing knives and crossbows. Prosecutor Nicholas De La Poer KC stated Coleman was “seething with hatred” and created a list of people at work who had “upset” him in September 2022, including a white female co-worker married to a man of mixed heritage.
Arrest and Sentencing
Six days before his arrest, Coleman posted a picture of a man with an automatic gun and commented “Coming soon here my man.” Two days before the weapon pickup, he wrote “Just something has gotta be done.” He also ordered a Gerber Strong Arm knife online. Probation officers assessed Coleman as posing a high risk of serious harm to the public, with deeply rooted feelings unlikely to change. In mitigation, the court heard Coleman had traits of autism spectrum disorder and suffered from loneliness and mental health issues during lockdowns.
Judge Marks spared Coleman a life sentence, citing his age, immaturity, autism traits, vulnerability, lack of previous convictions, and absence of actual physical harm. Coleman had admitted attempting to possess a firearm and ammunition, and pleaded guilty to possessing 10 terrorist documents. He will serve two-thirds of his sentence, minus over 1,000 days already in custody, before parole eligibility. A forfeiture order was issued, and a 30-year notification order requires him to share personal information with police.
Commander Helen Flanagan of Counter Terrorism Policing London said: “It is extremely concerning that such a young person was planning to murder innocent members of the public… what could have been a real tragedy.” She urged parents to monitor children’s online activity, noting increasing radicalisation of young people through the internet.
