Far-right extremist faces jail for terror breach

The defendant, known as LXB, appeared at Leeds Crown Court

A man believed to be the first far-right extremist to be placed under special government measures for monitoring suspected terrorists is to be jailed for breaching them, a court has heard.

The defendant, who can only be referred to as LXB, was subject to strict measures controlling his electronic communication in 2022 after being convicted of possessing material likely to be used for a terrorist purpose.

He also previously made threats to kill a Jewish MP and had another conviction for making explosives, Leeds Crown Court heard.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of contravening a TPIM (Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures) order and was told he would face a jail sentence at his next hearing on 16 July.

The court heard the man, who is in his 20s, was visited by police at home in June last year after he tried to set up a bank account on a device that was not known to them.

Officers searching his house found a GoPro camera and micro SD card, which the defendant was not allowed to have without Home Office approval.

The hearing was told the SD card contained videos LXB appeared to have made of himself trying to inform others of his TPIM and what it is like to live under one.

He was also found to have made hundreds of internet searches over four months that were in breach of his restrictions.

'Lonely and isolated'

The court heard he used the search bar of the Guardian website rather than Google to make searches, in order to get around the blocking software that would have prevented the searches on his Home Office-approved laptop.

He was found to have searched for topics relating to Andrew Tate, the Bristol bus boycott and "the science of terrorism," the court heard.

In his police interview LXB said he was challenging the TPIM restrictions in the High Court, claiming they were "overly onerous" and "designed to cause me to breach the order and criminalise me".

He told officers he had received the camera for his birthday and attempted to notify the Home Office.

In mitigation, the court heard LXB was a "lonely, isolated person" and that the TPIM measures made it hard for him to form friendships.

Judge Tom Bayliss KC said he would sentence the defendant on Tuesday, and that jail was the only possible sentence.

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