Nazi-worshipping extremists guilty of planning terror attacks
Three Nazi-worshipping extremists who believed a race war was imminent have been found guilty of planning terrorist attacks on mosques and synagogues.
A jury at Sheffield Crown Court heard how Christopher Ringrose, 34, Marco Pitzettu, 25, and Brogan Stewart, 25, were preparing to use the more than 200 weapons they had amassed, including machetes, swords, crossbows and an illegal stun gun.
Ringrose had also 3D-printed most of the components of a semi-automatic firearm at the time of his arrest and was trying to get the remaining parts.
The trio, who are not believed to have met in the real world before they appeared together in the dock of a court, were arrested when security services believed an attack was imminent after undercover officers infiltrated their online group, the court heard.
A nine-week long trial heard how the group idolised Hitler and the Nazis, shared racist slurs and glorified mass murderers.
On Wednesday, a jury rejected claims the defendants were fantasists with no intention of carrying out their threats and found Ringrose, of Cannock, Staffordshire; Pitzettu, of Mickleover, Derbyshire; and Stewart, of Tingley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, guilty of a charge of preparing acts of terrorism and charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.
Ringrose was also convicted of manufacturing a prohibited weapon.
Pitzettu pleaded guilty to obtaining an illegal stun gun at a previous hearing.
The defendants will be sentenced on July 17.
The judge, Mrs Justice Cutts, told them: 'You must all expect substantial custodial sentences'.
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