Northumberland teen jailed over terror offences

A Northumberland teenager has been sentenced after he was convicted of multiple terrorism offences.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons was jailed for 3 and a half years, plus one year on extended licence. He will also be subject to a 3 year Criminal Behaviour Order.

He was found guilty by a jury following a three-week trial at Leeds Crown Court at the beginning of this year, of offences including membership of a proscribed organisation, possession and distribution of terrorist publications.

He was convicted last month of five terror charges.

The jury was unable to agree a verdict on a charge that he was planning a terror attack on Newcastle synagogues and the prosecution said it would not apply for a retrial on that count.

The teenager, who was 15 at the time, was arrested as part of an intelligence led operation by Counter Terrorism Policing North East, supported by Northumbria Police, on February 20, 2025, from his home address in Northumberland.

A significant element to his offending was discovered when officers seized his computer and mobile phone. Officers downloaded 4.8TB of data, with a total of 253,005 messages. He was part of 25 extreme right wing online chat groups on platforms such as Telegram, Snapchat, TikTok and Wire.

Jurors were told the teenager purported to be a member of a banned neo-Nazi organisation, putting up stickers promoting them, and making promotional material to encourage others to join.

The defendant told the court he created an online persona to escape reality and his use of online platforms and social media escalated through his childhood.

But during searches at his home address, evidence was seized which revealed a deep-seated extreme right wing mindset. Items included knives, crossbow, air soft rifles, body armour, masks, flags and components to make explosives.

The jury was shown images of his bedroom, including a replica of an SS officer’s cap, a flag of Rhodesia and a skeleton in a mask.

Jurors were also read online exchanges with members of white supremacist groups and violent journal entries.

The court was told that the youth watched a video of the New Zealand mosque terror attack then looked up synagogues in the Newcastle area.

He also made racist and offensive references in his journal, later telling the jury he did not believe them but he wrote them down to bring himself peace.

Mr Justice Wall, sentencing, said he rejected that claim, saying the teenager genuinely held extremist, antisemitic views.

The judge did accept that the build-up to the offending began when the boy was just 14, with most of them happening when he was 15.

He experienced a difficult childhood, suffered from bullying, was isolated and struggled with friendships.

Since his arrest, he has been diagnosed with autism.

Mr Justice Wall said the teenager must spend another 15 months in detention, having already been in custody since his arrest.

He will then be supervised and monitored in the community for another 26 months.

The judge told the boy, who attended court via a videolink: “You will have to do what you are told by the people who are supervising you and it will be their job to help you come to terms with what you have done and to stay out of trouble in the future.”

Mr Justice Wall said the boy had an “unhealthy interest in weapons, wars and paramilitary items and this obsession led you to exploring the darker world of extreme right-wing organisations”.

He will be subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order which will restrict his use of computers and the internet.

During the trial, Frida Hussain KC, defending, said the boy was “desperately lonely”, had been “plagued” with thoughts of killing himself, and created an online persona as a distraction.

Mr Justice Wall turned down a media application to lift an order that prevented the defendant from being identified, partly because it will ease his chance of successful rehabilitation.

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “We welcome the sentence handed down today and hope it acts as a warning to all about the dangers of extreme online content which can have real life consequences.

“Police and partner agencies continue to work tirelessly to tackle the threat posed by sharing and possession of extremist content online, and through the Prevent Strategy, protect young and vulnerable people against extremism in all its forms.

“If you are worried about someone you know expressing extreme views or hatred, then please trust your instincts and ACT Early to prevent people becoming involved in terrorism. I cannot stress that enough and you will not be wasting our time.

“We want you to know that support is out there for you and those you are worried about. By contacting the ACT Early website (www.actearly.uk) you can access specially trained staff who will confidentially listen to your concerns and consider the right approach to get that person the help they need before they go too far.”

Chief Superintendent Kevin Waring, area commander for Northumberland, said: “We are fortunate to live and work within such close-knit communities, and we recognise the impact cases such as this can have on us all.

“We want to reassure you that we are committed to working with our partners to keep you safe.

“This case highlights the dangers which exist online and the type of material young people can access.

“It is a reminder that we all need to be vigilant and if you do become worried about someone you know, see or hear something concerning then please come forward.

“You can share information at gov.uk/ACT. In an emergency, call 999.”