Norwich man goes on trial for terror offences

A 25 year old from Norwich has gone on trial for terror offences.

The court has heard that the former soldier had been obsessed with the far right since the age of 13.

The man, who can only be named as S Forster, is currently on trial at the Old Bailey accused of having materials including designs and instructions for making explosives, incendiary devices and bombs.

He faces three charges of possessing information likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism, which he denies.

The court heard how he joined the Royal Anglian Regiment in 2016, but was discharged after basic training, as he was deemed unsuitable after engaging in extreme-right rhetoric.

The jury was told that Forster accepted that he had been involved with the far right since school and that he had doodled "vote National Front" on his school books. He was referred to Prevent after being excluded from college due to his views and he admitted being a youth recruiter for National Action.

When his flat was raided in April last year, police found a 24-page document named "Middle Eastern Terrorist – Bomb Designs" on his phone. His flat also contained pictures of Hitler and weapons, a National Front poster and stickers and other far right materials. Files on his phone and online searches included ethnic cleansing, guns, militaria, National Action and Combat 18. He was also found in possession of copies of "The Great Replacement" manifesto, authored by the New Zealand mosque attacker.

Ben Lloyd, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was fascinated by extreme right wing views and the prosecution says that the material involved in this case shows he shared such views and beliefs himself.

“He also had an interest in weapons like guns, knives and explosives.”

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