Sentence review for right-wing extremist told to read classic books

According to media reports, John was instructed to read classic novels including Pride and Prejudice

The Attorney General has referred a right-wing extremist's two-year suspended sentence for a terrorism offence to the Court of Appeal.

Ben John, 21, was also ordered by a judge to read classic novels such as Pride and Prejudice during his sentencing at Leicester Crown Court on 31 August.

He was told to return to court for a reading test.

The Attorney General's Office said the sentencing appeared "unduly lenient".

A spokeswoman added: "It is now for the court to decide whether to increase the sentence."

John 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, after a publication containing diagrams and instructions on how to construct various explosive devices was found on a computer.

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

John was convicted of possessing a copy of The Anarchist Cookbook

Campaign group Hope Not Hate had asked for the sentence to be considered under the unduly lenient sentence (ULS) scheme.

The ULS covers a variety of serious offences including certain types of hate crime and some terrorism-related offences.

An open letter, written by the group's chief executive Nick Lowles, had said: "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."