Alfie Coleman Convicted of Terrorism After MI5 Sting Secures Makarov Pistol Purchase
A neo-Nazi has been convicted of preparing terrorist acts following an extensive MI5 operation. Alfie Coleman, 21, was found guilty after attempting to purchase a Makarov pistol and associated ammunition in September 2023.
MI5 officers initiated a sting, luring Coleman into the acquisition of the weapon. He was arrested immediately after collecting the firearm from a Land Rover in a Stratford car park. The conviction follows a retrial at the Old Bailey, as the initial jury failed to reach a verdict.
Prosecutors presented evidence identifying Coleman, from Great Notley, Essex, as a 'militant accelerationist' subscribing to an extreme right-wing ideology focused on a 'race war'. The court heard that during the Covid-19 lockdown, then a teenager, Coleman immersed himself in extremist material and sought to arm himself.
His phone contained documents such as The Anarchist Cookbook, which provides instructions for improvised explosive devices. Investigations also uncovered a personal 'manifesto' in a diary, outlining potential targets and plans for attacks, including using explosives, hijacking aircraft, and employing knives and crossbows.
Coleman's online activity, which began at age 14, involved trawling for extreme right-wing content. Undercover MI5 officers engaged with him via encrypted channels as he pursued weapon procurement. This operation culminated on 29 September 2023, with Coleman exchanging £3,500 for the gun, five magazines, and 200 rounds of ammunition in a Morrisons car park. Footage showed officers apprehending him as he retrieved the holdall from the vehicle's boot.
Further searches of Coleman's residence revealed a rock with a swastika and a neo-Nazism flag. He also possessed a copy of Dylann Roof's 'overtly racist' manifesto, a document written before Roof's 2015 church attack in South Carolina, which killed nine people.
Prosecutor Nicholas de la Poer KC described Coleman's fantasies as 'seething with hatred'. Two days prior to the Makarov collection, Coleman wrote: 'Something has gotta be done, how long can we sit here and talk over the internet.' He simultaneously ordered a Gerber Strongarm knife.
Coleman admitted attempting to possess a firearm and ammunition but denied preparing a terrorist attack, claiming he 'eventually fell for a trap'. He is remanded in custody and is scheduled for sentencing at the Old Bailey on 8 July.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter-Terrorism Command, stated that Coleman was 'an extremely dangerous individual' whose plans posed a significant threat. She credited the 'incredible work' of officers and MI5 colleagues for preventing a potentially lethal attack.
