Extreme right-wing group convicted of planning attack

A group of three man have been convicted of planning an attack of terrorism.

Brogan Stewart, 25, of Tingley, Marco Pitzettu, 25, of Derby, and Christopher Ringrose, 34, from Cannock, were all part of an online extreme right-wing group.

Following a nine-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court, the trio were also found guilty of multiple terrorism and firearms offences.

Counter Terrorism Policing North East arrested the group on 20 February 2024, after an intelligence-led investigation that discovered the men were intent on carrying out a violent attack. They were charged six days later with engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Online, the group shared racial slurs, glorified mass murderers and encouraged violence against anyone deemed an enemy. Their messages showed that they idolised the Nazi regime.

The group's leader Brogan Stewart set out uniform, rules and necessary equipment for members.

They discussed targets for harassment and attacks, including mosques, Islamic Education centres and synagogues and also prepared for what they believed was an inevitable race war. The trio sourced body armour, rations and a cache of weapons as part of their planning - more than 200 weapons were seized from their home addresses, as well as riot gear, body armour and ration packs. The weapons included machetes, hunting knives, swords, and crossbows.

Prior to the trial, Pizettu pleaded guilty to obtaining an illegal stun gun, contrary to the Firearms Act 1968.

Ringrose was also convicted of illegally manufacturing a 3D-printed firearm.

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley said: “Stewart, Pitzettu, and Ringrose have today been rightfully convicted of multiple terrorism offences. They were a group that espoused vile racist views and advocated for violence, all to support their extreme right-wing mindset.

“Some of their defence in court was that it was all fantasy or just part of harmless chat, however all three took real world steps to plan and prepare for carrying out an attack on innocent citizens.

“Due to excellent collaborative work with our partners, we were able to infiltrate the group and arrest them before anyone was harmed.

“Counter Terrorism Policing work around the clock to prevent terrorism reaching our communities and we constantly advance our capabilities so that groups like this cannot hide.

“The public’s support is vital to our mission to keep people safe. If you hear or see anything that doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts and report it in confidence at gov.uk/ACT. You won’t be wasting our time. In an emergency, always call 999.”

Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter Terrorism Division, said: “These extremists were plotting violent acts of terrorism against Synagogues, Mosques and Islamic Education Centres. By their own admission, they were inspired by SS tactics and supremacist ideology.

“Had Christopher Ringrose managed to completely finish building the 3-D printed semi-automatic firearm that he had started to, it could have been used leading to devastating consequences.

“The prosecution case against the defendants included their disturbing Telegram and Facebook chats as well as acquiring military equipment such as riot shields, body armour and an arsenal of weapons found at their home addresses that were to be used in readiness for a ‘race war’.

“We worked closely with Counter Terrorism Policing North East to prepare a strong case against the defendants, and the jury has today convicted them of their crimes. Extremism is a threat to our society and we will always aim to keep communities safe by seeking to prosecute anyone who prepares for acts of terrorism.”