National Action: Accused had links to convicted neo-Nazi - court hears

Ben Raymond is currently on trial at Bristol Crown Court

A man accused of co-founding the banned neo-Nazi group National Action had links to a convicted terrorist, a court has heard.

Ben Raymond, 32, is accused of creating the banned group to wage a "white Jihad" and race war in Britain.

Bristol Crown Court heard on Wednesday how he met Jack Renshaw who was jailed for life after admitting plotting to murder Labour MP Rosie Cooper in 2019.

Raymond, of Swindon, Wiltshire, denies seven terror offences.

'Propaganda chief'

The court was told the group was formed in 2013 by Mr Raymond, who became its propaganda chief.

His trial previously heard how he was likened to the Third Reich's propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.

Following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016, National Action was banned - joining the likes of the IRA, Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

Barnaby Jameson QC, prosecuting, said the two men had attended a rally in Liverpool in 2016 during which Renshaw publicly called for the murder of Jews.

Neo-Nazi Renshaw was jailed for life in 2019

He told the jury that Renshaw was "standing two away from the defendant" at the time.

"The same Jack Renshaw called publicly for the eradication of the Jews in speeches in Liverpool and Blackpool in February and March 2016 and the defendant had a link to one of the speeches," he added.

Jurors were told Renshaw admitted meeting other convicted members of National Action at a pub in Warrington in July 2017 - more than six months after the group was proscribed.

'Public face'

This was part of his plot to murder the West Lancashire MP, the court heard.

In the aftermath of Mrs Cox's murder, members discussed which politician would be killed next - settling on Shabana Mahmood, the MP for Birmingham Ladywood, the court heard.

The prosecution allege that Mr Raymond was the "public face" of the group and focused on leadership, ideology and producing images.

After it was outlawed, it morphed into a new group called NS131 (National Socialist Anti-Capitalist Action) which Mr Raymond is also accused of being involved in.

In addition, he allegedly created images for the Midlands-based KKK Mafia.

Mr Raymond is charged with one count of membership of a proscribed organisation and six counts of possessing a document or record of use to a terrorist.

The trial continues.