Review bid after right-wing extremist 'told to read classic books'

Ben John was given a 24-month sentence, suspended for two years, at Leicester Crown Court

The Attorney General has been asked to review a sentence given to a right-wing extremist for a terrorism offence.

Ben John was handed the 24-month sentence, suspended for two years, at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday.

According to media reports, the 21-year-old was also ordered by a judge to read classic novels such as Pride and Prejudice and to return to court in January.

In a letter, campaign group Hope Not Hate asked for a review of the case.

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John, of Addison Drive, Lincoln, was found guilty of possessing a record of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism on 12 August.

The offence under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act, which has a maximum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment, was brought following the discovery on a computer of a publication containing diagrams and instructions on how to construct various explosive devices.

Lincolnshire Police said John had also amassed 67,788 documents in bulk downloads on to hard drives, which contained "a wealth" of white supremacist and anti-Semitic material.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Timothy Spencer QC is reported to have asked John: "Have you read Dickens? Austen?

"Start with Pride And Prejudice and Dickens's A Tale Of Two Cities. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Think about Hardy. Think about Trollope.

"On January 4 you will tell me what you have read and I will test you on it."

According to media reports, John was instructed to read classic novels, including Pride and Prejudice, as he was given a five-year serious crime prevention order

The open letter, written by Hope Not Hate's chief executive Nick Lowles, stated: "A suspended sentence and a suggested reading list of English classics for a terror conviction is unduly lenient for a crime of this nature.

"This sentence is sending a message that violent right-wing extremists may be treated leniently by the courts.

"That is a dangerous message to send when the far-right poses the fastest growing terror threat today. These sorts of lenient sentences risk encouraging other young people to access and share terrorist and extremist content because they will not fear the repercussions of their actions."

A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said: "We have received a request for the sentence of Ben John to be considered under the unduly lenient sentence (ULS) scheme.

"The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case and make a decision."

The unduly lenient sentence scheme covers a variety of serious offences including certain types of hate crime and some terrorism-related offences.