A teenager hailed balaclava-clad gunmen "coming to England soon" before he was caught buying a weapon in an MI5 sting operation, a court has heard. Alfie Coleman was aged 19 when counter terrorism police arrested him in a Morrisons car park moments after he collected a Makarov pistol and ammunition on September 29 2023.
Just days before his arrest, on September 17 2023, Coleman engaged in encrypted chat on Wire about the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the Old Bailey heard on Wednesday. He posted a picture of a man armed with an automatic gun and wearing a balaclava with people standing on either side in the street alongside the caption: "Coming soon here my man."
Prosecutor challenges defendant's messages
Cross-examining, prosecutor Nicholas De La Poer QC said: "You were saying before too long terrorists, men in balaclavas carrying automatic weapons, would be walking through the streets of England and people would be supportive of it." Coleman told jurors: "At face value that's what it seems like. I don't remember why I said it."
After posting the image, Coleman went on to write: "I do not think we will have outward support like they had. All we would need is for people to look the other way. Only way that can be achieved is by people being more scared of us than the cops so they do not say what they see."
Links to extremist ideology explored
Mr De La Poer suggested Coleman was referring to himself and "other militant accelerationists", a form of right-wing extremism. The defendant replied: "Putting two and two together it could be interpreted in that way. Me and other like-minded people. I do not remember this conversation."
The prosecutor went on: "You are talking about being part of a group that terrifies the civilian population, aren't you?" Coleman said: "That's what the message says but I do not remember this conversation."
Defendant denies Nazi focus
He went on to deny that his interest in history and weaponry was focused on Nazi Germany, the Second World War and other areas of interest to the extreme right wing. Asked about his own "manifesto" setting out beliefs and grievances, Coleman told jurors: "This is me having pretty bad intrusive thoughts and me writing stuff that is going on in my head. This is the extent, to me. I never intended it to be shared with anyone."
The defendant was asked about a slogan stating: "Save the bees, plant more trees, clean the seas, shoot refugees." Coleman denied being an "eco-fascist" but accepted he held those views at the time and he saw them as "linked".
Terrorist manifesto possession revealed
He was asked about his possession of the manifesto of extreme right-wing terrorist Brenton Tarrant, who stormed two mosques in New Zealand and killed 51 people in 2019. Coleman declined to say that he too viewed himself as an "ethno-nationalist", saying that he did not like to "put a label on things."
Mr De La Poer pressed: "You did view there being a link between whatever extreme right-wing views you held and the environment?" The defendant replied: "My interest in the environment and participation in group chat are two distinct things."
Guilty pleas and trial details
Coleman has accepted having a significant quantity of extreme right-wing material and has pleaded guilty to possessing 10 documents which contain information likely to be useful to terrorists. He does not dispute writing a text bearing similarities to "manifestos" written by convicted extreme right-wing terrorists nor that he engaged in chat on Telegram and Wire with people who proclaimed extreme right-wing views and idolised Hitler, jurors have heard.
The defendant, now aged 21, from Great Notley in Essex, has admitted attempting to possess both a firearm and ammunition but denies he was preparing for a terrorist attack. The Old Bailey trial continues.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
