Three neo-Nazis jailed after plotting terrorist attacks against synagogues and mosques to incite race war

Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC said that the three defendants were 'followers of an extreme right-wing Nazi ideology'.

The trio, who are not believed to have met in the real world before they appeared together in the dock, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court.

The trio were preparing to use more than 200 weapons they had amassed, including machetes, swords, crossbows and an illegal stun gun to carry out acts of terror.

Mr Sandiford said each of the defendants showed an interest in material depicting mass killings, and by 2024 had acquired an arsenal of weapons capable of inflicting serious violence, and were actively seeking to acquire more deadly weapons such as firearms and improvised explosives.

The prosecutor said the trio styled themselves as an armed military group and that their behaviour escalated so that by early 2024 they were seeking further recruits.

The court heard that in January and February they were planning their first attack, which was to be the "first of a number of operations escalating in nature" and had identified a target, which the trial heard was an Islamic education centre in Leeds.

Mr Sandiford said the defendants had an "intention to commit acts of extremism which involved killing of multiple victims."

In May, a jury rejected claims the defendants were fantasists with no intention of carrying out their threats.

They found Ringrose, of Cannock, Staffordshire, Pitzettu, of Mickleover, Derbyshire, and Stewart, of Tingley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, guilty of a charge of preparing acts of terrorism and charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.

Ringrose was also convicted of manufacturing a prohibited weapon.

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said the group came together because of their "extreme racist views".

"They've idolised the Nazi party, they've glorified mass murders, and they share a hatred of groups such as the Jewish community and the Muslim community," he said.

"I genuinely believe had we not taken action, this group could've carried out a violent attack and the consequences of that attack could've been fatal."

The group was first infiltrated by an undercover officer on January 5 last year.

Stewart sent a message to the officer on the encrypted Telegram app, telling him he was disillusioned with other far-right groups that just "sit around and talk,.

He added: "I want to get my own group together because action speaks louder than words."

Stewart, who fashioned himself as the leader of the group, appointed Ringrose and Pitzettu as "armourers" and they discussed getting a uniform as well as potential targets, including mosques and synagogues.

In a group call on February 5 last year, they said the plan was to "cruise around" looking for "human targets" near an Islamic education centre, "do whatever we do, then back at mine for tea and medals and a debrief".