Sheffield, UK – Three British right-wing extremists are currently on trial at Sheffield Crown Court for allegedly planning to carry out a terrorist attack in the name of a “race war”. Brogan Stewart, Marco Pitzettu, and Christopher Ringrose, all in their mid-20s to mid-30s, were arrested in February 2024 for planning to collect weapons, including a 3D-printed gun, to target mosques or synagogues.
The defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges of terrorism and collecting information for terrorist purposes. During the trial, prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford described the trio as “right-wing extremists who identified with national socialism or Nazi ideology.” Sandiford also revealed that the defendants expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and other perpetrators of terrorist attacks, along with a deep-seated hatred for non-white individuals, particularly Muslims and immigrants.
Sandiford further disclosed that among the evidence presented were hundreds of messages, including a poll posted by Stewart on social media platform Telegram asking how to execute the Prime Minister at that time, Rishi Sunak. In another instance, Stewart mentioned in a Facebook group the need for gas chambers to cleanse the country and “Make England great again.”
The defendants had established a Telegram group named “Einsatz 14” in early 2024, which Sandiford characterized as a group focused on taking action rather than just words. The prosecutor informed the court that three other members of this group were actually undercover police officers.
Stewart, Pitzettu, and Ringrose had identified potential targets for their violent intentions, prompting police intervention and their subsequent arrest to prevent any imminent threat. The trial is ongoing with the expectation of concluding next month.