Neo-Nazi music family jailed for inciting hatred

Rosie, Robert and Stephen Talland were jailed for 18 months, four years and two years, respectively

Family members with a "long-standing allegiance" to neo-Nazism who created music calling for racial violence have been jailed.

Robert Talland organised a gig in Leeds in 2019 where his children Stephen, 36, and Rosie, 33, performed their songs to an audience who responded with Nazi salutes, Woolwich Crown Court heard.

The 59-year-old, from Essex, managed the band and was a leading figure of a neo-Nazi music network known as Blood & Honour, a jury was told.

On Thursday, Robert Talland was jailed for four years for terror offences and multiple counts of stirring up racial hatred. His son was jailed for two years and his daughter for 18 months on multiple counts relating to inciting racial hatred.

Sentencing the trio, Judge Andrew Lees said: "At the time of your offending, I am satisfied that each of you had a long-standing allegiance to the neo-Nazi cause.

"That is most clearly evidenced by the racist and anti-semitic messages, videos, memes and other materials you posted via social media."

Judge Lees said the family's concerts provided a forum encouraging racial hatred and neo-Nazi ideology with "extreme right-wing" symbols like Nazi flags and banners on display.

Robert Talland, pictured, had dismissed Blood & Honour as an "old man's drinking group", the court heard

The court had heard that Robert Talland, of Waltham Abbey, also ran a record label, Rampage Productions, which distributed CDs by neo-Nazi groups.

According to Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE), a search of his home found hundreds of CDs distributed under the label, Blood & Honour merchandise and banners "covered in neo-Nazi imagery".

The albums encouraged racial violence, the trial jury heard.

Members of the audience at the gig at the Corpus Christi Club in Leeds in 2019 were captured on CCTV making Nazi salutes to lyrics which threatened, and called for the death of, individuals belonging to certain groups, the trial was told.

The gig was also a memorial for Ian Stuart Donaldson, frontman of the white power band Skrewdriver and founder of Blood & Honour, who died in September 1993.

Blood & Honour, which promotes white power ideology through music, was hit with a UK asset-freezing order in January over its suspected terror links.

The trial heard that Robert, Stephen and Rosie Talland were all arrested on 1 October 2020, after a year-long investigation by CTPNE.

A search of Robert Talland's home found a wealth of extreme right-wing material, according to CTPNE

Following a nine-week trial, all three defendants were convicted of conspiracy to incite racial hatred.

Rosie Talland and Stephen Talland, both of Harlow, were also each convicted of inciting racial hatred.

Meanwhile, Robert Talland was also found guilty of possessing racially inflammatory material and two further counts of disseminating terrorist publications.

After sentencing, Det Ch Supt James Dunkerley, head of CTPNE, said the family had been part of a network encouraging "violence and extreme right-wing terrorism across Europe for decades".

"Robert Talland dismissed the group as an 'old man's drinking club', but through the gigs and events they organised, they promoted music which glorified acts of murder to audiences which included young children," he added.

"In doing so, they encouraged attitudes of hatred, intolerance and violence which have no place in our society."

Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: "Although people have the right to robustly communicate and exchange views, even when they may cause offence, the encouragement of terrorist acts and racist abuse are criminal offences.

"The members of this family created hateful lyrics and music as an attempt to incite racial hatred, encourage white supremacism and promote the use of serious violence.

"These were not idle fantasies but designed to encourage real world violence. Each of these defendants have received prison sentences for their hateful actions."

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