Neo Nazi Ian Forman jailed for planning to bomb mosques

Ian Forman

Neo Nazi bomb plotter Ian Forman has been jailed for ten years after being found guilty of planning a home-made bombing campaign against mosques in Liverpool.

Forman, 42, was obsessed with Adolf Hitler and was even nicknamed “Adolf” by disgusted colleagues because of his far right-wing opinions.

A trial at Kingston Crown Court heard how he downloaded pictures of two mosques near his home in Merseyside, labelling them “targets” before making a string of YouTube posts threatening to “blow them up.”

On Facebook, Forman described Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik as his “hero” and boasted about making a pilgrimage to Hitler’s wartime headquarters in Berghof, Germany.

He stockpiled potassium nitrate, sulphur and charcoal, and drew up a shopping list of bomb components after months of internet research from his bedroom at his parents’ home.

Forman, who frequently expressed his racist ideology and views against the disabled to friends and workmates, posted on YouTube about “Mosques lighting up the sky to keep us warm in the winter.”

A jury at Kingston Crown Court found him guilty of engaging in conduct in the preparation of terrorist acts.

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Jailing him for 10 years, judge Paul Dodgson said: “You are someone who has held extreme right-wing views for a number of years. A number of your messages express your admiration for Adolf Hitler – an admiration that led you to have parts of an SS uniform in your bedroom and you intended in due course to obtain a mannequin so the uniform could be displayed in full.

“On occasions you have provoked understandable anger and disgust from people who have seen the material that you put on sites such as YouTube which gave vent to your extreme opinions.”

One of Forman's targets: Penny Lane mosque
One of Forman’s targets: Penny Lane mosque

Earlier the judge said: “The defendant had, in my judgement, very extreme and evil thoughts – I think the word evil is appropriate.”

Police were alerted when horrified colleagues at a glass recycling plant discovered Forman had been researching how to obtain dangerous chemicals from the workplace.

His home in Oxton, Merseyside, was raided on June 6 with officers finding over a kilogram of gunpowder and, in his bedroom cupboard, a briefcase containing a homemade explosive device alongside an SS uniform.

Subsequent analysis of Forman’s computer and 16 mobile phones revealed his research of mosques in his local area and saved photos of them.

Forman labelled Penny Lane Mosque in Liverpool and the Wirral Islamic Centre, near his home in Birkenhead, as his “dreck ziels,” the German for “dirt targets.”

He also text messaged a friend stating he was making an explosive with ball bearings and nails, adding: “It might be destined for the Muslim centre in Birkenhead”.

David Mason QC, defending, said Forman has been finding prison life at Belmarsh “extremely difficult” due to the high number of inmates from ethnic communities.

The court was told Forman ran tests on black powder and filmed himself testing improvised explosive devices in his own back garden.

He also sent Merseyside Police a letter issuing a series of threats if they “sided with the Muslim filth.”

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