Durham Terror Attack Teen Seeks Lifelong Anonymity

A Durham teenager who plotted a terror attack on the city is making a bid for lifelong anonymity as he approaches his eighteenth birthday.

The 17-year-old, who described himself in police interviews as a "neo-Nazi" and "natural sadist", was unanimously convicted of six terrorism offence by a jury at Manchester Crown Court in November 2019.

The troubled teenager was convicted of the following offences:

• One offence of engaging in the preparation of an act of terrorism, contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006;
• One offence of disseminating terrorist publications, contrary to section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006;
• One offence of possessing material for terrorist purposes, contrary to section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000;
• Three offences of collecting or possessing information useful in the preparation of an act of Terrorism, contrary to section 58(1)(b) of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The maximum penalty for the section 5 offence is one of life imprisonment.

Around this time last year the youth was sentenced to 6 years 8 months in custody for his crimes, which you can read more about in  this earlier police press release. Some of his handiwork is depicted in the image at the start of this article.

Judge David Stockdale QC, sentencing on that occasion, said that the youth would not be considered for release until he had served two-thirds of the sentence. He also said the youth would be subject to an extended licence period of 5 years.

In common with most youth defendants appearing before the adult court, an order was made protecting his identity under section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

Ordinarily that order would automatically expire on his eighteenth birthday, but last week lawyers representing the youth made an application for a further anonymity order.

Judge Nicholas Dean QC made an interim order protecting the youth's identity until the application can be fully considered on 11th January 2021.

Earlier this year the youth was convicted of five charges of sexual assault at Leeds Youth Court, for which he received an 18 month detention and training order.

In 2019 the High Court took the unusual decision of granting lifelong anonymity to a Lancashire youth who plotted a terrorist attack in Australia.

It will be interesting to see how this case goes. The Durham youth clearly has dangerously strong beliefs, but is he so dangerous that the public is entitled to know his identity?

No doubt some journalists are poised ready to press print the moment the decision goes against him.

Update (11/1/21): HHJ Nicholas Dean QC has declined to make an order protecting the identity of the teenager in question, who has now been named by the media.