MI5 foils neo-Nazi terror plot
Neo-Nazi Alfie Coleman jailed 13.5 years for mass terror plot thwarted by MI5
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The conviction for preparing for terrorist acts was delivered after an Old Bailey retrial, confirming Coleman’s guilt on the renewed case.
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Prosecutors revealed that in September 2023 Coleman planned to acquire a Skorpion automatic weapon and an AK-47 rifle with ammunition in France, and had targeted a local mosque as part of his intended attack.
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MI5’s undercover operation included interactions with Coleman in encrypted chat as he pursued weapon purchases, illustrating the use of covert online monitoring to disrupt plots.
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The sting culminated in a Morrisons car park in Stratford, east London, where Coleman handed over £3,500 and an undercover officer retrieved a holdall containing a handgun and ammunition; officers arrested him within about 30 yards.
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At the time of arrest, Coleman was described as a former Tesco part-time employee, highlighting his background prior to the case coming to trial.
A 22-year-old neo-Nazi from Essex has been jailed for 13.5 years after MI5 caught him trying to buy guns for a mass shooting. Alfie Coleman, from Great Notley, was arrested in a Morrisons car park in east London after handing over £3,500 to an undercover officer for a handgun and ammunition, according to MyLondon.
Coleman was convicted at the Old Bailey of preparing for terrorist acts. A judge described him as a dangerous offender with "virulently racist" views. His sentence includes a further five years on extended licence, meaning he will be supervised long after his release, Belfast Telegraph reported.
Radicalized at 14, Armed at 19, Jailed at 22
Coleman first encountered neo-Nazi material online at just 14 years old. By the time he was 19, he was actively trying to buy weapons. Head Topics reported that MI5 began intensifying its undercover operation in 2023 as his plans grew more concrete and dangerous.
At home, police found a rock carved with a swastika, a Black Sun flag, extremist books, and a device used to detect hidden cameras and bugs. Officers also found a hate list of colleagues and customers he had worked with during his time as a part-time Tesco employee, Belfast Telegraph reported.
Targets Named: Lord Mayor, a Mosque, and More
Coleman drafted a diary-style manifesto naming specific targets. These included the Lord Mayor of London and a local mosque. He reportedly planned to attack the Lord Mayor's home directly, according to MyLondon.
In September 2023, Coleman planned to travel to France to buy a Skorpion automatic weapon and an AK-47 rifle along with ammunition. Prosecutors said he was fully prepared to carry out the attack. The scale of his planning made the case one of the most serious domestic terrorism plots in recent years.
MI5 Sting Ends in a Morrisons Car Park
MI5 ran a covert online operation, communicating with Coleman through encrypted chat as he sought to buy weapons. The operation came to a head in Stratford, east London. Coleman handed £3,500 to an undercover officer, who gave him a holdall containing a handgun and ammunition, The Standard reported.
Officers arrested Coleman within about 30 yards of the exchange. He did not make it out of the car park. Yahoo News reported that Coleman tried to claim his extreme views were merely "intrusive thoughts" rather than genuine beliefs — an argument the judge firmly rejected.
Case Highlights Online Radicalization's Real-World Danger
Coleman's path from online extremism to a near-mass shooting took just eight years. Authorities say cases like his show how quickly radicalization can turn into real violence. Police urged the public to contact them if they fear a loved one is being drawn into extremist content online, according to The Standard.
Coleman's case followed a retrial at the Old Bailey, confirming the original guilty verdict on the charge of preparing for terrorist acts. His 13.5-year sentence, plus five years of extended supervision, reflects how seriously courts now treat far-right plots, Belfast Telegraph noted.
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