Teenager who planned to attack synagogue sentenced to eight years in prison – The Irish News

A teenage neo-Nazi has been jailed for eight years for hatching a detailed plan to carry out a suicide attack on a synagogue because he wanted to “scare Jews again”.

Mason Reynolds, 19, from Brighton, was found guilty at trial of possessing an article relating to the preparation of an act of terrorism against the synagogue in Hove, East Sussex.

He also pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, as well as five offenses of sharing terrorist publications dating back to the age of 16.

The defendant had shared right-wing videos and possessed bomb instruction manuals, Winchester Crown Court heard.

The court heard that Reynolds had marked up a Google map of the streets and a satellite image of the synagogue detailing “entry points and points of attack”.

Naomi Parsons, prosecuting, said: “Although preparation is described as limited, it is not absent because Mr Reynolds had a neo-Nazi mindset and he had prepared an extensive library of manuals, manuals on explosives and manuals on weapons manufacturing. »

She added: “This risked putting many lives at risk, he included references to the days when the synagogue would be busiest, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Passover. »

Ms Parsons continued: “He had a violent and entrenched neo-Nazi mindset and had expressed his intention to commit terrorist acts – I want to strap several pipe bombs to my chest and blow myself up in a synagogue.

“He knew that those he communicated with shared this mindset.”

Ms Parsons said Reynolds had used the social networking site Telegram to encourage others with his “propaganda channel to promote the neo-Nazi agenda” and he said he wanted to “scare Jews again”.

He also possessed recorded and live-streamed videos of mass terrorist attacks, including those produced by Brenton Tarrant in Christchurch, New Zealand; and Anders Breivik in Norway, the court heard.

Ms Parsons said: “These are clips of live-streamed attacks and that's their purpose, that's what makes them so dangerous, they're designed to facilitate copycat attacks. »

He also released a promotional video for the proscribed white supremacist terrorist organization Atomwaffen Division, showing a man wearing a skull mask and combat gear shooting at targets.

Reynolds showed no emotion as he was given an extended sentence consisting of eight years in custody and a five-year license period.

The judge, Mrs Justice May, told him she considered him “dangerous” and added: “You intended to encourage terrorism, that was propaganda, pure and simple. »

Of the terrorist documents kept by Reynolds, she added: “This is a surprisingly large and disturbing collection, kept secret from your family and friends, but showing just how deep your interest in extreme ideology right had become anchored. »

Amy Packham, defending, said Reynold's interest in the far right grew during the Covid-19 lockdown and added: “He would never have taken this action in real life, just happened online, behind the barrier of the Internet, it is his stated evidence and his family's opinion that there is no risk.

A Counter Terrorism Police South East (CTPSE) spokesperson said Reynolds had “welcomed the attacks by far-right terrorists”.

He added: “Reynolds wrote a memo detailing a plan to attack a synagogue in Hove.

“Following a police search of his home, various devices were discovered which had been used to store or share material, including an iPhone and USB sticks.

“He was also found to be the administrator of a Telegram channel that shared right-wing extremist, anti-Semitic and racist views, as well as manuals on making bombs and how to print weapons. fire in 3D. »

Nick Price, head of the CPS's Counter Terrorism and Special Crimes Division, said: “Mason Reynolds sought to spread hatred and encourage acts of terrorism.

“Not only did he have neo-Nazi beliefs, but he wanted to act on them to cause pain and suffering, which was fortunately avoided and the public was protected thanks to the work of the police and prosecutors. »