Ivan Jennings, a former councillor from Stafford, has been jailed for terrorism offences after he discussed poisoning Jewish and Muslim people with mushrooms and said he wanted to "take out the dinghy divers" in online forums.
The 46-year-old father of four admitted encouraging terrorism in an online chat between August 15 and November 14, 2024. He also pleaded guilty to dissemination of a terrorism publication - a manifesto by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik - on August 21, 2024, reports Birmingham Live.
Jailed at Leicester Crown Court
Jennings, of Holmcroft Road, Stafford, arrived at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday (September 16) with JD Sports and Tesco bags packed with his belongings, leaving them outside the dock before hearing his fate. He was jailed for five years and three months, with a five-year extended licence period.
Sentencing at Leicester Crown Court, Judge Andrew Lockhart KC said Jennings had "deeply held abhorrent and racist views". He said Jennings now accepts he "dehumanised whole groups of people" including Jews and Muslims.
Extreme right-wing activity
The court heard how warehouse worker Jennings was an "active participant" in at least seven extreme right wing groups on Telegram. He joined far-right organisation Patriotic Alternative in early 2024, prosecutor Daniel Oscroft said.
Jennings said in one group that he was in touch with a man "who wanted to go in a boat and make a difference to the amount of people coming into the UK". When asked if he supported murder, he wrote in another post: "It's not murder because we are at war. If it's subhumans, it's justified and actually needed."
On August 22, he searched online for motorboat chartering services at Dover and the price to hire a boat in the UK. When another user shared a video of a boat a week later, Jennings commented "we need one of those to take out the dinghy divers". He told another group "something needed to be done soon" and each person "needs to take out at least 200 and stop the constant influx" of migrants.
Targets and manifesto sharing
Jennings also shared a post about an event celebrating Pakistan's Independence Day in Manchester. He identified it as a target with the message: "We need to start acting." The extremist made reference to the 51 people killed in the Christchurch terror attacks in New Zealand, which saw a mass shooting at two mosques in October 2019. He said "we need a bigger impact", Mr Oscroft said.
Another user commented on the post about the Pakistan event and said: "It disgusts me to see that in the UK". Jennings replied: "Exactly, we need to start acting to turn the tables." In another comment about the event, Jennings wrote: "If I go to prison for anything, it's going to be for making a real change."
Mr Oscroft told the court: "In a smaller group of eight participants, there was discussion about the most poisonous mushrooms and how to get them into the food of Jews or Muslims." Jennings also shared a link to 25 people called 'books you are not supposed to read', Mr Oscroft said. Publications on the link included a manifesto by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, which is made up of more than 15 pages and details his preparation for his attack.
Oliver Renton, defending, said Jennings was "struggling with deep existential fears about himself" after collapsing at work and going into cardiac arrest in 2023. Jennings then descended into "fear and isolation", becoming susceptible to "nihilistic, bleak world views", he said. Mr Renton told the court Jennings had been described by others as a "good neighbour" and "good man of his community".
The court heard Jennings admitted the charges on a basis that he was reckless as to whether his actions would encourage other acts of terrorism. Jennings denied possession of a document for terrorist purposes - The Great Replacement by Brenton Tarrant - on November 14, 2024. This count was ordered to lie on the file.
