Neo-Nazi on trial for planning cyanide attack

The Daily Mail, ITV News, Express and Star, Southern Daily Echo and Belfast Telegraph all report on the court appearance of a British neo-Nazi who is accused of planning a cyanide attack against non-Aryans in the UK.

Mark Colborne, a 36 year old student from Southampton, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court yesterday on charges of engaging in conduct in the preparation of terrorism acts contrary to Section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006. He was arrested last month after police officers raided his home in Southampton. Colborne is alleged to have been preparing to carry out a race hate terror attack against British ethnic minorities.

Colborne was denied bail and will appear at the Old Bailey on July 18 to face trial.

Judge Zani, denying the defendant bail, said “These are very serious allegations, though I must stress they are only allegations and you have not been convicted of anything.

“You are of previous good character which I have taken into account. But in my view there are substantial grounds that persuade me not to release you on bail as you may well re-offend and not attend court.

“You face a lengthy prison sentence if you are convicted of this offence, and for these reasons I am not granting you bail.”

This is not the first time evidence related to a suspected terror plot by far right extremists has come to light. Ian Forman, a Nazi sympathiser, was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment in May for plotting to blow up two mosques in Merseyside. Last summer, Pavlo Lapshyn was arrested for plotting a ‘race war’ by planting bombs at mosques in the West Midlands and murdering a Muslim grandfather. Neil MacGregor, a self-proclaimed ‘proud racist’ was jailed for 12 months in 2011 for threatening to blow up Glasgow mosque and ‘behead a Muslim a day’ until all mosques in Scotland were closed down. Security Minister, James Brokenshire, has previously warned of the ‘real threat’ posed by far right extremists in the UK.