A British Army chef who shared far-right views and talked about creating a militia has been jailed for making a 'homemade cannon'. Mark Broadhurst, 28, was arrested in September 2024 after police found weapons and explosive substances inside his home.
The British Army chef was arrested at Catterick Garrison after the materials were found at his Chesterfield house, Sheffield Crown Court was told. A raid of his barracks was also conducted where police found gunpowder and a homemade cannon, which was described as 'crude' by an expert.
Weapons found in home and barracks
Crossbows, bolts, six large knives and a baseball bat were also found. Broadhurst denied any terror offences, but the judge concluded that he was trying to impress members of extreme right-wing groups, YorkshireLive reports.
Matthew Donkin KC, prosecuting, said most of this took place before he joined the army. Counter Terror police had become aware of Broadhurst while carrying out investigations on other members of these groups. The investigators saw his messages on two online forums.
Hateful messages and extremist views
Mr Donkin said: "The things he was posting were hateful, racist, aggressive and they demonstrated clear, extreme right-wing beliefs and views." The messages demonstrated a hatred of "black, Asian, Muslim and Jewish people", the prosecution said. He referred to anarchy, the end of society, and how he was prepared to bring this about.
He also said he wanted to be "in history books and criminal records" for terrorism and the killing of police officers. He shared an online recipe he had made to make gunpowder.
Defence and sentencing
Jim Littlehales, for the defence, read a reference from a superior officer which described Broadhurst as "excellent at mentoring junior members of the catering team", saying he worked to the highest standards. He said the firearm he had made was not used to threaten anyone.
Frank Ferguson, head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: "Mark Broadhurst was clearly interested in violence and developing weapons that had the ability to cause untold harm to innocent people. He was immersed in extremist material and maintained close contact with three now-convicted terrorists inspired by SS tactics and supremacist ideology over a prolonged period."
Broadhurst was sentenced on the basis he made the weapon and gunpowder so he would be taken seriously by the extreme right-wing groups. He was jailed for 46 months after pleading guilty to possessing explosives and a firearms offence.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: "Whilst Broadhurst pleaded guilty to these offences, he did not accept that his intent had a terrorist motivation. A thorough investigation was conducted which uncovered an extreme right-wing mindset and he was engaging in extensive conversations online with other individuals who hold similar views. He was proactively ordering components to make explosives, plus he amassed multiple weapons including firearms. After hearing the extensive evidence compiled throughout our investigation, the judge was satisfied his offending had a terrorist connection. I welcome the sentence handed down to Broadhurst which reflects his mindset and the danger he posed to the public."
