Man found guilty of planning terrorist attack

A 21-year-old from Goole has been been found guilty of planning an act of terrorism and multiple offences of possessing and disseminating terrorist information following a three-week trial at Leeds Crown Court.

Jordan Richardson was arrested on December 19, 2024 by Counter Terrorism Policing North East, supported by Humberside Police, following an intelligence-led operation which discovered that he was preparing a terrorist attack.

At the time of his arrest, he was found with handwritten notes in his backpack which detailed his attack plan, as well as ingredients and instructions on how to make mustard gas.

Searching his home, officers found weapons including a crossbow, crossbow bolts, and a combat-style knife.

Richardson converted to Islam earlier in 2024 and the court heard he was quickly drawn to extremism.

He had joined an Instagram group, where he shared extreme terrorist content, including antisemitic and homophobic propaganda, beheading videos from the terrorist group ISIS, and Al-Qaeda bomb-making instructions. He said he identified as a terrorist and wanted to commit a terrorist attack.

Richardson had searched for instructions on how to make explosives, discussed possible targets including a shopping centre, and researched how to travel to locations including Palestine, Syria and Iraq.

While in prison on remand, he told a prison officer that he was a supporter of the so-called Islamic State.

He will be sentenced on 15 December.

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East said: “Jordan Richardson was inspired by the violent propaganda of the so-called Islamic State. He sought to spread their ideology further by sharing their disturbing material and encouraging others to commit terrorist attacks. He was preparing to conduct an attack on members of the public, and to become a martyr to others who share his ideology.

“Richardson blamed social media algorithms for the extremist material which was found on his mobile phone, and he told the jury that he was role playing as an Islamist terrorist online as escapism from the emotional challenges in his life. Ultimately, the jury found that Richardson was motivated by extremism and was fully responsible for his actions.

“This case shows the real-world threat that terrorist content online poses, and how quickly people who view this content can radicalise themselves. In just a few short months, Richardson went from being a new convert to Islam, to being a committed and dangerous extremist. Working closely with our partners, we were able to stop him before anyone was harmed."