Three men jailed for Nazi-inspired plot to attack religious sites

Three men who formed an online group that prosecutors say idolised Nazi ideology and amassed an arsenal of weapons to carry out attacks on religious sites were jailed on Friday after being convicted of terrorism offences. Brogan Stewart, 25, of Tingley, Wakefield; Christopher Ringrose, 34, of Cannock, Staffordshire; and Marco Pitzettu, 25, of Mickleover, Derbyshire, were sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court after jurors found them guilty in May of preparing acts of terrorism and of collecting information likely to be useful to someone preparing or committing an act of terrorism. Ringrose was also convicted of manufacturing a prohibited weapon.

Prosecutors said the three men had been planning a sequence of escalating strikes against mosques, synagogues and other religious sites, and had identified an Islamic education centre in Leeds as an initial target. They amassed more than 200 weapons, including machetes, swords, crossbows and an illegal stun gun, and were seeking firearms and improvised explosives, the court heard. At the time of his arrest Ringrose had 3D printed most components for a semiautomatic firearm and was trying to source the remaining parts.