Arabic version: رجل من إسيكس يُدان بتهم الإرهاب في عملية سرية لوكالة MI5

A 21-year-old neo-Nazi, Alfie Coleman, has been found guilty of preparing terrorist acts after attempting to purchase a firearm. The verdict was delivered following a retrial at the Old Bailey, where jurors previously could not reach a decision.

According to BBC News, Coleman was arrested by MI5 agents in September 2023 after he picked up a Makarov pistol and ammunition in a car park in east London. The undercover operation involved officers engaging with Coleman through encrypted messages as he sought to buy weapons.

Coleman, who had been immersed in far-right ideology since the age of 14, compiled a list of individuals he referred to as “race traitors” and wrote a manifesto detailing his violent intentions. Prosecutors revealed that he had downloaded extremist literature, including a version of The Anarchist Cookbook, and had plans for various attacks, including placing explosives in a cash machine.

During the trial, jurors viewed video footage of Coleman’s arrest, where he was seen exchanging £3,500 for a holdall containing the firearm and ammunition. Further searches of his home revealed a rock engraved with a swastika and a neo-Nazi flag.

Coleman admitted to attempting to possess a firearm and ammunition but denied preparing for a terrorist attack. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2024, and has been remanded in custody until then.