Man Who Shared Terrorist Information Convicted
A man who used an online messaging platform to share information detailing how to assemble a homemade automatic weapon has been convicted of an offence under the Terrorism Act.
James Farrell (32) from the Pollok area of Glasgow, pled guilty when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow today, Thursday, 9 February 2023, and also admitted expressing anti-Semitic, racist and neo-Nazi views.
Farrell had been in contact with like-minded individuals from the North-East of England and other parts of the UK using Telegram.
Last March, members of this group were convicted of offences under the Terrorism Act, and during their trial it was heard they exchanged terror manuals, shared racist ideology and posted videos of atrocities.
His conviction has been welcomed by Counter Terrorism officers.
Detective Chief Superintendent Stuart Houston, Police Scotland's Head of Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit, said:
“Farrell not only expressed views which are totally unacceptable in a civilised society but his actions in sharing material of this nature had the potential of significantly endangering the public.
“His conviction is testament to the work of Police Scotland officers and shows the value of working in partnership with our colleagues in Counter Terrorism Policing across the UK. Police Scotland is grateful for the assistance of Counter Terrorism officers from the North East of England, who initiated the investigation which led to Farrell’s activities being uncovered.
“James Farrell’s conviction sends out a clear message that terrorist activities of any nature will not be tolerated and Police Scotland officers will continue to investigate anyone who engages in criminality linked to extreme groups or ideologies.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Jim Dunkerley, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, added:
“Given the online nature of many terrorist and extremist networks, it is not unusual for operations to cross regional and national borders. Alongside our CT policing colleagues across the UK, we will always seek to share or respond to intelligence which indicates offences are being committed.
“Our enquiries revealed that subjects from the North East investigation were engaging with Farrell in a chat group, and it was appropriate that this information was passed to Police Scotland for further investigation.
“As a network, we are committed to taking a coordinated approach, and to jointly act on any information which potentially signals terrorist activity. After all, in some circumstances, the safety of our communities may rely on it.”
