Oliver Lewin: Coalville man convicted of TV mast terror plot attacks

A telecoms engineer has been found guilty of plotting terror attacks on phone, TV and radio masts as part of a plan to "topple the government".

Oliver Lewin, 38, of Ferrers Road, Coalville, Leicestershire, had denied a charge of preparing terrorist acts and claimed he was a "fantasist" at a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

The court heard Lewin carried out reconnaissance of potential targets and sought to recruit others.

Lewin will be sentenced on 20 January.

Opening the Crown's case at the start of the trial, last month, Annabel Darlow KC said: "By 2021, Oliver Lewin was deeply opposed to the government of the United Kingdom.

"Mr Lewin, in fact, stated his goal was to topple the British government.

"He believed that it was dominated by a Jewish elite who took orders from Israel.

"He saw the spread of coronavirus across the world as triggering what he termed the emergence of a Chinese Communist system."

She added: "Mr Lewin was also deeply suspicious of the coronavirus vaccination programme, which at that time was in the process of being rolled out across the country."

Ms Darlow said Lewin described himself as being on a "war footing", adding: "By 2021 he had determined on the use of action to achieve his aim of destabilising the government.

"His chosen method of attack was to target communication systems and transport infrastructure."

She said he planned to physically "attack the hardware" of communication systems and "cause damage to the road network".

Under the alias "Crouching Hedgehog", he used the encrypted messaging app Telegram to try to recruit others, pretending he was ex-Army, Ms Darlow KC added.

He later joined a Telegram group infiltrated by undercover police officers, where he issued a "call to arms", she said.

Lewin had previously worked as an audio visual engineer and for a small company which installed and maintained radio masts.

He looked into targeting a number of masts in Leicestershire and Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands and a culvert under the M1, the court heard.

When police searched his address they discovered a partially-completed work, entitled "Civilian Resistance Operations Manual".

In it, he wrote: "My ideal primary objective would be to topple the government and all within it and install a civilian-led alternative that doesn't act for themselves and consider anybody below them mere scum."

After his arrest on 25 August 2021, he was interviewed and accepted writing the manual, buying Army surplus equipment and going on reconnaissance trips.

But he claimed he was a fantasist and his efforts were simple "role play".

He also believed "white people across Europe were being systematically killed by the vaccine" in a "planned genocide", the court heard.

After the trial, West Midlands head of counter terrorism policing Det Ch Supt Mark Payne, said: "Lewin claimed he was a fantasist but it is clear he took the steps to carry out reconnaissance of targets to attack, bought equipment and tools, dug hide-outs and tried to recruit and train others.

"He wanted to advance a political cause by damaging property and wiping out media organisations.

"Extremists use this kind of ideology to create discord, distrust and fear among our communities and we strive to counter this."

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].