Registered terrorist offender recalled to prison

A registered terrorist offender who glorified the murder of Lee Rigby has been sentenced four-and-a-half years’ in prison.

Royal Barnes, 34, was convicted in March 2014 of inciting terrorism overseas and three counts of transmitting terrorist publication following the murder of Lee Rigby, a British solider, in 2013.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Monitoring those convicted of terrorism-related crimes is a key part of our work to ensure that they are not posing any further risk to the public.

“Terrorism offenders are subject to strict notification requirements once they have completed their sentences, and we are proactive in making sure they are sticking to these. As this case shows we will not hesitate to take action should we identify any breaches and it should also send a message that there are serious consequences for those who do so.”

Following posting videos on Youtube showing footage of the scene of Rigby’s murder, Barnes was sentenced to five years and four months in jail in 2014. He was then released from prison in September 2016, but was recalled in 2017 when he had possession on an iPhone he hadn’t informed the police about, before being released again in 2019.

On 26th October 2023, Barnes was arrested for breaches of these notification requirements regarding the use of a vehicle, mobile phone, and email account, as well as involvement in fraudulent activity.

He pleaded guilty to these offences on 25th October last year and was sentenced on 28th March, at the Old Bailey, to three-and-a-half years in prison for the two breaches and a further year for the fraud offence, which he will serve consecutively.