A teenager from the Isle of Wight has been sentenced for planning a terrorist attack and other offences.
The 16-year-old boy was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court to seven years’ imprisonment after being found guilty by a jury at the same court in February this year.
After a trial, he was found guilty of one count of preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2000, three counts of dissemination of terrorist publications under Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 and one count of having an article with a blade or point in a public place, contrary to Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1998.
The boy, now aged 16, from Cowes on the Isle of Wight cannot be named or identified for legal reasons. He was arrested in July 2022 following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) after he was found to be planning to attack people he believed had insulted Islam.
When arrested the boy was found with a knife and notes that contained information relating to his plan. He also shared terrorist publications with others online, the ideology of which was influenced by Daesh.
He was charged initially in July 2022 then charged with additional crimes in November 2022.
Head of CTPSE, Detective Chief Superintendent Olly Wright said:
“We know that terrorist groups use their toxic rhetoric to try exploit vulnerable people. This case was particularly concerning because a teenager had gone so far as taking active steps to prepare for an attack; thanks to a swift response we were able to stop him, and he has now been sentenced to imprisonment as a result of his actions.
Where we can, we really do prefer to intervene early and divert young people away from extremism long before it gets to this point. So, if you are worried that someone you know is being drawn down a path of extremism, please do act by telling someone. There is support and advice available through ACT Early and Action Counters Terrorism.”
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Area Commander for the Isle of Wight, Superintendent Rob Mitchell said:
“This is a really tragic case of a young boy who found himself exploited by Daesh propaganda. The most vulnerable people in our communities across Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight are at the greatest risk of being drawn towards terrorist activity, and potentially causing harm to themselves and others. We have excellent working relationships and information sharing agreements with our partners that allow us to quickly identify those at risk and protect people from harm.
Cases of this nature are, thankfully, relatively rare, but I do understand this investigation will have had a significant impact on the people of Cowes and the Isle of Wight. No-one is exempt from the risk of extremism and terrorism, but together Action Counters Terrorism and if you have any concerns that someone you know has been, or is being, radicalised, you can Act Early to get them the help they need and deserve.”
*Can we get rid of these bleeding heart liberals. The guy had armed himself with knives and had a ‘hit list’.*
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Area Commander for the Isle of Wight, Superintendent Rob Mitchell said:
“This is a really tragic case of a young boy who found himself exploited by Daesh propaganda.”
Quite, how does one find oneself “exploited by Daesh” unless you go looking for their content in the first place?
Take a look at some of the videos being posted of youths “playing” on the streets with machetes, knives and other instruments. Notice the ethnicity? Look at why, who and how these kids are being radicalised. Ok, some is crime, gang related and, hopefully, many grow up and out of it. Then dig deeper into cases like this, radicalisation via mosques, hate preaching and online content. Glorification of violence in the name of Jihad, thousands of anti Semitic demonstrators tolerated weekly whilst a Jewish guy is threatened with arrest for looking, well, Jewish. You could not make it up could… Read more »
European politicians goal is to fill the continent of africans , orders of the elites.
Unfortunately, we’ve used hardline Islamist fundamentalists as proxies for controlling nationalists in British dominions since the time of Empire- you could argue that it’s our own problem coming home to roost in some ways. We have had a blasé attitude to extremism of the Islamic for a very long time.
That said, I’m not suggesting that we do nothing, nor that the attitude should continue- just that it’ll take quite a lot of changing!
Ine aspect of the rent a crowd marches is that they are given the oxygen of publicity
The UK and the rest of Europe have sizeable communities of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Atheists, Pagans, etc. They all get on with each other without too much fuss.
In comparison, the community following the belief system of Islam is a constant source of problems for us.
And yet we see lots of ‘Liberals’ marching in pro-Palestine rallies each weekend many of which are organised by Islamists.
Honestly, these people are so naive, do they think if Israel disappears tomorrow the Middle East will be peaceful? If so they have simply ignored the history of how Islam is spread.
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The old saying beware of the enemy within is still valid and it is a real credit to our police and intelligence agencies that people like that are under the microscope