Date: 25 June 2010
Right wing extremists jailed for internet posts
Trevor Hannington, 58, from Cardiff and Michael Heaton, 42, of Leigh, Greater Manchester, have been found guilty of inciting racial hatred at Liverpool Crown Court.
The pair were sentenced earlier today with Hannington receiving two years and Heaton two years and six months.
The North East Counter-Terrorism Unit released the following statement:
Detective Chief Superintendent David Buxton, Head of the North East Counter Terrorism Unit said:
"Heaton and Hannington are white supremacists. They pedalled hatred against innocent people purely on the basis of their ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and culture.
"Their intolerance is obsessive and goes way beyond offensive posts on the Aryan Strike Force and Legion 88 forums. They used every opportunity to encourage violent attacks against anyone they took exception to.
"Our investigation revealed that this was not simply online bravado or the open expression of extreme views. Heaton and Hannington were in possession of information about how to create explosive devices and harm others using weapons and unarmed techniques. They also became increasingly volatile as time went on.
"Heaton considered himself a 'Street Fighter'. He called upon like minded individuals to 'fight for the cause' and take action against non-whites. Hannington shared these views, actively promoting violence and calling for 'military action' against mosques and synagogues.
"These men clearly demonstrated both the will and the potential to act on their views. We are thankful they have been denied the opportunity to do so.
"Protecting the public remains our priority and we will not tolerate violent extremism in any form. We will use all available legislation to prosecute those who deliberately threaten the safety or stability of our communities by inciting hatred and violence."
