Alfie Stevens sentenced for sharing far-right terrorist documents

A man has been sentenced for sharing extreme right-wing terrorist material on Telegram.

Alfie Stevens, of Surrey Quays, south-east London, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey in July to three charges of dissemination of a terrorist document.

Judge Sarah Munro gave the 24-year-old a two-year suspended sentence when he appeared at the same court earlier.

She said Stevens had underlying problems and was an "easy target" for radicalisation.

The court heard as a teenager Stevens became involved in the National Front and National Action and travelled to Dover and Liverpool to take part in protests against refugees.

As a result of his behaviour at school he was referred to Prevent, the government-led anti-terrorism programme.

By January 2021 Stevens was living in his car after the break-up of a long-term relationship and was drinking heavily, the court heard

Judge Munro said having joined two chat groups Stevens posted a quote from Adolf Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess and had suggested going on "survival training camps".

Stevens also claimed he was ordering a deactivated submachine gun used in World War Two.

On 27 January Stevens uploaded two extreme right-wing publications to Telegram.

One of them, entitled White Resistance Manual, was a 310-page document with chapters dealing with topics such as firearms, explosives, poisons and acquiring funds, Judge Munro said.

A forensic scientist examined the manual and concluded that if the instructions in it were followed, it would be possible to manufacture "viable" and "potentially lethal explosive substances" including pipe bombs.

In August 2021 Stevens was arrested while driving over the limit in south-east London and in possession of a bladed article, the court heard.

In the car was an armband with a swastika symbol on it, a Nazi flag and a hoodie with Hitler's face on it.

The court heard a probation officer considered there was a "high risk" Stevens could reoffend and that he was a serious danger to the public.

In mitigation, defence barrister James Hasslacher said reports had found Stevens to have a "childlike" character.

Although Stevens had a long history of association with right-wing ideology, his posts were a "spontaneous, stupid act" by a man of limited intellectual functioning, Mr Hasslacher said.

Judge Munro concluded that in light of the offending being nearly three years ago, his compliance with a community order, and taken together with the mitigation, Stevens's sentence could be suspended.

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