A 22-year-old man from Essex has been jailed for 13 years and six months after being found guilty of planning an extreme right-wing terrorist attack targeting members of the public. Alfie Douglas Coleman was sentenced at the Old Bailey following a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation which found he had been radicalised online from the age of 14. The court heard Coleman had planned to carry out a terrorist attack and had attempted to obtain a firearm to carry out his plans.
Arrested in undercover operation
A joint investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London and MI5 identified that Coleman was attempting to purchase a handgun. On 29 September 2023, officers arrested him in a car park in Stratford, east London, moments after he handed over £3,500 for what he believed was a Makarov pistol and ammunition. The firearm had been supplied by undercover officers as part of a proactive police operation. Coleman was arrested seconds after leaving with the bag.
Years of extremist activity
Detectives found Coleman had sought firearms through online contacts linked to extreme right-wing groups and forums. Investigators became increasingly concerned during the summer of 2023 after intelligence suggested he was attempting to acquire weapons to carry out an attack. Examinations of his electronic devices uncovered:
- Extremist material
- Terrorism-related documents
- A manifesto-style diary outlining his grievances and intentions
- Weapons and explosives manuals
Officers also recovered evidence showing Coleman had been accessing and downloading extremist material dating back to 2019, when he was just 14 years old.
Convicted of terrorism offences
Coleman pleaded guilty to:
- 10 counts of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism
- Attempted possession of a firearm
- Attempted possession of ammunition
Following a trial, he was also convicted of preparing terrorist acts. In addition to his 13-and-a-half-year prison sentence, Coleman will:
- Spend a further five years on licence
- Serve at least two-thirds of his custodial sentence before becoming eligible for release
- Be subject to a 30-year notification order, requiring him to keep police informed of his personal details.
Police warning over online radicalisation
Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said:
“It is extremely concerning that someone so young had planned to murder innocent members of the public as part of an extreme right-wing terrorist plot.”
She urged parents, carers and communities to remain alert to the dangers of online radicalisation, warning that increasing numbers of children and young people are being drawn into violent extremism through material encountered on the internet. Counter Terrorism Policing is encouraging anyone concerned that someone may be vulnerable to radicalisation to seek support through the ACT Early programme.
Originally published by UKNIP.
