Three far-right extremists who stockpiled weapons and planned attacks against mosques and Islamic centres have been convicted of planning an act of terrorism.
Brogan Stewart, 25, of Tingley, Marco Pitzettu, 25, of Derby, and Christopher Ringrose, 34, from Cannock, were also found guilty of multiple terrorism and firearms offences following a nine-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court. Sentencing will take place on July 17.
The group were arrested on February 20, 2024 by Counter Terrorism Policing North East, following an intelligence-led investigation that discovered the men were intent on carrying out a violent attack.
The men were kept in custody and charged six days later with engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.
The self-styled “militant” online group provided an echo chamber of extreme right-wing views where they shared horrific racial slurs, glorified mass murderers and encouraged violence against anyone deemed an enemy.
The group idolised the Nazi regime, which was evident throughout their messages. The leader, Brogan Stewart, set out uniform, rules and necessary equipment for members. Pitzettu and Ringrose were named as “armourers.”
The trio discussed targets for harassment and attacks, including mosques, Islamic Education centres and synagogues.
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The group also prepared for what they believed was an inevitable race war and sourced body armour, rations and a cache of weapons as part of their planning. Over 200 weapons were seized from the home addresses of the subjects, alongside riot gear, body armour and ration packs. The weapons included machetes, hunting knives, swords, and crossbows.
Pitzettu had obtained an illegal stun gun, contrary to the Firearms Act 1968, an offence which he pleaded guilty to prior to trial.
The group had also pursued acquiring a 3D printed firearm, of which Christopher Ringrose was convicted of manufacturing illegally.
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley said: “Stewart, Pitzettu, and Ringrose have today been rightfully convicted of multiple terrorism offences. They were a group that espoused vile racist views and advocated for violence, all to support their extreme right-wing mindset.
“Some of their defence in court was that it was all fantasy or just part of harmless chat, however all three took real world steps to plan and prepare for carrying out an attack on innocent citizens.
“Due to excellent collaborative work with our partners, we were able to infiltrate the group and arrest them before anyone was harmed.”
Bethan David, Head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter Terrorism Division, said: “These extremists were plotting violent acts of terrorism against Synagogues, Mosques and Islamic Education Centres. By their own admission, they were inspired by SS tactics and supremacist ideology.
“Had Christopher Ringrose managed to completely finish building the 3-D printed semi-automatic firearm that he had started to, it could have been used leading to devastating consequences.
“The prosecution case against the defendants included their disturbing Telegram and Facebook chats as well as acquiring military equipment such as riot shields, body armour and an arsenal of weapons found at their home addresses that were to be used in readiness for a ‘race war’.
“We worked closely with Counter Terrorism Policing North East to prepare a strong case against the defendants, and the jury has today convicted them of their crimes. Extremism is a threat to our society and we will always aim to keep communities safe by seeking to prosecute anyone who prepares for acts of terrorism.”
