Jordan Richardson was convicted of terrorism-related offences after ‘preparing to conduct an attack’ with Meadowhall a possible target
A self-styled “Anglo Jihadi” from East Yorkshire who made jokes about entering a synagogue wearing a suicide vest has been found guilty of plotting a terrorist attack. Jordan Richardson, 21, began planning an “atrocity” after developing an interest in an “extremist, fundamentalist” interpretation of Islam, with potential targets including Meadowhall shopping centre, a court was told.
Richardson, who prosecutors stated “regularly expressed a wish to kill Jews”, was detained while travelling to work in Howden last December carrying instructions for manufacturing mustard gas and a note reading: “Throw all grenades into crowd; Shoot bystanders; Stab anyone who comes close; Do not get taken alive.”
A jury at Leeds Crown Court heard that a crossbow was discovered at Richardson’s residence, while his internet browsing history revealed an “affiliation with extreme Islamist ideology, (including) material depicting and glorifying terrorist actions”. The court was told that one potential target of the defendant, whose Instagram profiles included one named “Anglo Jihadi”, was Meadowhall shopping centre, in Sheffield, which was referenced in his social media posts.
Richardson, of Howden, claimed during the trial that his conduct was a type of fantasy and an escape from his everyday life, where he experienced depression and isolation, and that he was “role playing the character of an extremist”. However, prosecutors argued he “wasn’t just an online fantasist” but rather an extremist who was “going to put his jihadi fantasies into reality”. Richardson was convicted on Monday of one count of preparing for acts of terrorism, two counts of collecting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, and three counts of distributing terrorist publications.
Opening the case to jurors last month, prosecutor Katherine Robinson said: “(Richardson) regularly expressed a wish to kill Jews, for example using the terminology – the pillagers, the big noses and the money. He suggested going to Palestine to fight Jews and he searched for how to volunteer for Hamas from the UK and how to get to Palestine. He made a joke about going into a synagogue in a suicide vest.”
Ms Robinson told the court Richardson “stated that he converted to Islam the day after Ramadan” and expressed his desires “to conduct jihad and kill infidels”.
The jury was shown a video Richardson uploaded to Instagram of Meadowhall shopping centre, followed by a colourful clip featuring images of rainbows and dolphins, overlaid with the words: “How life feels when you finally give up and just start killing people brutally.”
Additional video clips presented to the jury included Richardson smashing a statue of Buddha in a garden, describing how it was a “polytheistic idol”, and footage of him firing a crossbow. The prosecutor said the crossbow discovered in his home was purchased online by the defendant for £35.95, along with a pack of 10 crossbow bolts. She stated that the recipe for mustard gas “has been assessed as viable and potentially fatal for anyone exposed to it” and that this substance would be capable of being loaded into a grenade.
Ms Robinson told the court: “We say the only possible intention in sharing that sort of material, in particular with a group of people who had professed allegiance to the Islamic State, was to encourage terrorist acts, in particular given he had discussed locations, including a UK embassy and Meadowhall.”
The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, said she wanted reports to be prepared on Richardson before his sentencing on December 15. She instructed him to co-operate with the probation officers and provide them with a “full and frank indication of your current thinking” so she can evaluate his “future dangerousness”.
Richardson displayed no emotion as the jury foreman delivered the verdicts.
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, said: “Jordan Richardson was inspired by the violent propaganda of the so-called Islamic State. He sought to spread their ideology further by sharing their disturbing material and encouraging others to commit terrorist attacks.
“He was preparing to conduct an attack on members of the public, and to become a martyr to others who share his ideology. This case shows the real-world threat that terrorist content online poses, and how quickly people who view this content can radicalise themselves.
“In just a few short months, Richardson went from being a new convert to Islam to being a committed and dangerous extremist. Working closely with our partners, we were able to stop him before anyone was harmed.”
Bethan David, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Jordan Richardson was intent on causing violence in the name of his ideology. He researched how to make explosive substances, bragged about doing so, and had credible recipes for creating mustard gas and TATP, which if used would cause mass injury and devastation.
“Richardson used social media to share content that was designed to spread fear to encourage violence in others. He is a dangerous individual, and his conviction today shows the seriousness of his offending.”