NAZI TRIO WERE SET TO MOUNT ATTACK - POLICE

Extremists shared racist slurs and glorified mass murderers, nine-week trial hears

- DAVE HIGGENS News Reporter

A TRIO of Nazi-adoring right-wing extremists would have attacked a mosque, synagogue or other place of worship or education with potentially fatal consequences if they had not been arrested, a senior anti-terrorism detective has said.

Christopher Ringrose, Marco Pitzettu, and Brogan Stewart were found guilty of terrorism offences at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday after a jury rejected their claims that they were fantasists who were not serious when they discussed attacks online.

A nine-week long trial heard how the group idolised Hitler and the Nazis, shared racist slurs and glorified mass murderers.

The jury found Ringrose, of Cannock, Pitzettu, of Mickleover, Derbyshire, and Stewart, of Tingley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, guilty of a charge of preparing acts of terrorism and charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.

Ringrose was also convicted of manufacturing a prohibited weapon.

Pitzettu pleaded guilty to obtaining an illegal stun gun at a previous hearing. The defendants will be sentenced on July 17.

The judge, Mrs Justice Cutts, told them: "You must all expect substantial custodial sentences".