Met Police officer, 22, found guilty of belonging to banned neo-Nazi terror group National Action

Pictured with a Hitler moustache: Met officer, 22, who is first cop to be convicted of being in banned far-right terror group National Action and having bomb making manuals as footage shows his arrest in bedroom plastered in Nazi posters and memorabilia

  • Ben Hannam found guilty of membership of banned right-wing extremist group National Action at Old Bailey
  • He was also convicted of lying on his application to join the Met Police in 2018 and having terror documents 
  • Hannam arrested after he was found on leaked database of users of the extreme right-wing forum Iron March 

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BEN HANNAM’S JOURNEY FROM NEO-NAZI GROUP MEMBER TO POLICE OFFICER 

March 6 2016: Hannam attends a National Action meeting in a pub at Paddington in London. He writes in his diary afterwards they are ‘a good bunch of lads’ and he ‘can’t wait to get more involved’.

March 7 2016 – May 15 2017: Hannam is an occasional user and poster on Iron March.

March 8 2016: Hannam posts that he was ‘completely swayed’ after watching a video featuring an NA member.

March 18 2016: Hannam posts a link to a newspaper article about a Muslim shooting a white man in London and described his ideology as ‘fascist’.

April 2016: Hannam appears on a database of NA members.

April 17 2016: Iron March user ‘Schmiss’ asks about NA London, and Hannam responds saying it is ‘pretty good’ and asks if he’s thinking of joining.

April 23 2016: Hannam attends the NA National Conference in Liverpool. He posed for an official photograph with five other men holding the NA flag on Crosby Beach. NA co-founder Alex Davies was a speaker and Mark Jones an attendee.

May 2 2016: Asked by another Iron March user if he had joined NA yet, Hannam says: ‘Mmm why mate?’

May 9 2016: Hannam says he hopes to meet ‘Schmiss’ as a new recruit in the summer, and focus on recruiting 16-plus members into ‘our group’.

Early June: Hannam pushes further, saying: ‘You still going to join in the summer? London’s been hanging out quite a bit and it’d be a shame not to see a new face.’

He tells Schmiss that the slogan ‘Hitler was right’ was a ‘bit too edgy’, adding: ‘Then again it is pretty funny and we all know our stance on the big man.’

June 10 2016: A ‘knife combat’ document and the Anders Behring Breivik manifesto are transferred to a USB stick by Hannam.

December 11 2016: Hannam searches online for an article about the up-coming ban on NA.

December 16 2016: National Action, an extreme neo-Nazi organisation, is proscribed by the Government. Hannam closes his tutanota email account used to register with NA. He also creates a new folder on a USB stick containing NA-related files, including the knife combat document.

January 15 2017: Hannam joins NA associates at two pubs in Swindon, including Alex Davies, Mark Jones, and Oskar Dunn-Koczorowski.

February 26 2017: Hannam purchases coach tickets ahead of an indoor boxing event in Swindon at which Alex Davies, Mark Jones, and Oskar Dunn-Koczorowski were present. He did not go.

April 10 2017: Hannam attends an outdoor boxing event, said to be ‘classic NA training activity’. Videos found by police on Alex Davies’ camera, show Hannam taking an active role in the activities. Alex Davies and Oskar Dunn-Koczorowski were also present.

July 2 2017: Hannam spray paints a NS131 symbol on to a storm drain on the outskirts of Swindon and is picture holding a Celtic Cross flag associated with extreme fascist groups. Alex Davies, Oskar Dunn-Koczorowski and Elliott Richards-Good are present.

July 19 2017: Hannam applies to join the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), and denies ever having been a member of the BNP ‘or similar organisation’.

 

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Shocking footage has captured the moment a Metropolitan Police officer was arrested in a bedroom plastered with neo-Nazi posters and memorabilia as he was today found guilty of belonging to banned terror group National Action.   

Ben Hannam, from Enfield in north London, became a member of the far-right organisation National Action in 2016 but failed to declare his extremist beliefs during the vetting process when he applied to the Met in July 2017. 

He was arrested in his bedroom last March, where officers found his walls covered in Nazi propaganda and Star Wars posters he likened to fascist artwork, with manuals detailing the production of biological weapons and knife combat hidden on a USB stick amongst the mess.

Hannam, 22, was today found guilty being a member of National Action, a proscribed terrorist organisation, along with two counts of possessing documents useful for terrorism and for fraud.    

A judge previously ruled the three-week trial could not be reported because Hannam was also facing charges of possessing prohibited images of underage girls, but he pleaded guilty to the charges last week. 

The Old Bailey heard Hannam joined National Action in March 2016, but it was said his association with the far-right group ended before he began working for the Metropolitan Police in March 2018.   

However, the defendant appeared in a recruitment for a group called NS131 – an off-shoot of National Action – just two days before making an application to the Met in July 2017.    

His activity was discovered when an anonymous hacker using the name ‘antifa-data’ [anti-fascist data] hacked into a neo-Nazi forum called Iron March and published details of its 1,185 users online.   

The court heard Hannam joined National Action’s London branch in March 2016 after being rejected by his Muslim girlfriend’s family. 

He was seduced by free stickers, outdoor activities and the friendship of a ‘cool’ big brother-type figure, the Old Bailey heard.

Even after the far-right group was banned in December 2016, Hannam – who is autistic – continued to associate with some of the same people, and was filmed spray painting fascist graffiti weeks before he applied to join the Metropolitan Police in July 2017.

Hannam, who was brought up by a single mother and has two sisters and a younger brother, ended his association with NA before he began working for the Met as a probationary officer.

The court was told counter-terrorism officers acted ‘swiftly’ once he had been identified as a suspect, with commander Richard Smith insisting Hannam was a ‘unique’ case.

He said: ‘Ben Hannam obviously lied on his application form to join the Met. He would never have been able to join had we known then of his interest in the extreme right wing and his previous membership of National Action.

‘Once we identified his involvement with that organisation we took immediate steps to arrest him and put him before the court.’

He stressed there was no evidence Hannam abused his position ‘to further his extremist views’.

After Hannam’s arrest, detectives found an image on his iPhone showing him in police uniform, with a Hitler-style moustache superimposed on his face added, he said, by a schoolfriend.

They also found he had downloaded a knife-fighting manual and a copy of the ‘manifesto’ of the rightwing extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who murdered 77 people, mostly children, in bomb and gun attacks in Norway on July 22 2011.

Dan Pawson-Pounds, prosecuting, said the Breivik document included bomb making instructions and ‘exhaustive justifications for his mass-casualty attacks.’

Ben Hannam, 22, a probationary officer at the force, has been found guilty of membership of right-wing extremist group National Action following a trial at the Old Bailey. Pictured: An image found on Hannam's iPhone showing him in a police uniform with a Hitler-style moustache superimposed on his face

Ben Hannam, 22, a probationary officer at the force, has been found guilty of membership of right-wing extremist group National Action following a trial at the Old Bailey. Pictured: An image found on Hannam's iPhone showing him in a police uniform with a Hitler-style moustache superimposed on his face

Ben Hannam, 22, a probationary officer at the force, has been found guilty of membership of right-wing extremist group National Action following a trial at the Old Bailey. Pictured: An image found on Hannam’s iPhone showing him in a police uniform with a Hitler-style moustache superimposed on his face

When officers searched his bedroom last year, they found neo-Nazi posters, notes detailing his membership of NA, as well as NA badges and business cards. Nazi propaganda can be seen on the wall by his bed alongside Star Wars posters, which the court heard he likened to the artwork and imagery of fascism

When officers searched his bedroom last year, they found neo-Nazi posters, notes detailing his membership of NA, as well as NA badges and business cards. Nazi propaganda can be seen on the wall by his bed alongside Star Wars posters, which the court heard he likened to the artwork and imagery of fascism

When officers searched his bedroom last year, they found neo-Nazi posters, notes detailing his membership of NA, as well as NA badges and business cards. Nazi propaganda can be seen on the wall by his bed alongside Star Wars posters, which the court heard he likened to the artwork and imagery of fascism

Hannam (circled) is seen at a Yates Bar in Swindon on January 15, 2017, where he met NA co-founder Alex Davies and others

Hannam (circled) is seen at a Yates Bar in Swindon on January 15, 2017, where he met NA co-founder Alex Davies and others

Hannam (circled) is seen at a Yates Bar in Swindon on January 15, 2017, where he met NA co-founder Alex Davies and others

Pictured: Documents found at Hannam's home

Pictured: Documents found at Hannam's home

Pictured: Documents found at Hannam's home

Pictured: Documents found at Hannam's home

A diary belonging to Hannam in which he detailed ‘possible group activities’ and his ‘life in recent years’

The ideology of NA was described in court as based on ‘Aryan purity’ and hatred of non-white groups, particularly Jews. Members venerated Adolf Hitler as a ‘divine figure’ and celebrated violence, including war and genocide, the court heard.

Hannam told the court his interest in fascism started because he liked the ‘bold look’ of Nazi propaganda posters and his autism made him obsessive about downloading material.

His school, Winchmore School in Enfield, had raised concerns internally over his extremist views after comments about immigration during a debate on Brexit and an A-level project on extremist ideology which could not be submitted because of the content.

However, when Hannam applied to the police in July 2017, he gave his university as a reference, despite dropping out of his theology course after only one term, and no school reference was sought.

As part of the police application process he was asked if he had ever been a member of the British National Party ‘or a similar organisation, whose constitution, aims, objectives, or pronouncements may contradict police officers’ duty to promote race equality.’

In answering no, he was said to have defrauded the police out of the £66,000 they spent employing him between March 26 2018, when he started as a trainee, and his arrest in March last year.

After his arrest, Hannam’s stop and search records, crime reports and case files were all reviewed and police found there was ‘no evidence that Hannam targeted individuals as a result of any right-wing views.’

The Old Bailey heard that on March 6 2016 Hannam had attended a National Action meeting in a pub in Paddington and that until the summer of 2017, he had continued to attend activities organised by the group. 

It was said he appeared to foster ‘intolerant’ views as a student at Winchmore School in Enfield, with history teacher Lisa Hughes saying he made ‘inappropriate’ anti-immigration comments during a Brexit debate in 2016.  

In May 2017, she refused to submit an A-level politics dissertation because of his ‘intolerant’ view of Islam.

Hannam was referred to guidance adviser Hafida Zitouni, who described him as ‘respectful’ and ‘polite’ even though he avoided the issue.

Hannam seen in his bedroom upon his arrest in footage released by the Metropolitan Police

Hannam seen in his bedroom upon his arrest in footage released by the Metropolitan Police

Hannam seen in his bedroom upon his arrest in footage released by the Metropolitan Police

Hannam seen during an outdoor boxing event in footage shown to the jury during his trial

Hannam seen during an outdoor boxing event in footage shown to the jury during his trial

Hannam seen during an outdoor boxing event in footage shown to the jury during his trial

Hannam (seen above) told jurors he had been attracted to fascism aged 16 because of its bold artwork and contacted NA after seeing propaganda online

Hannam (seen above) told jurors he had been attracted to fascism aged 16 because of its bold artwork and contacted NA after seeing propaganda online

Hannam (seen above) told jurors he had been attracted to fascism aged 16 because of its bold artwork and contacted NA after seeing propaganda online

Hannam (above) was convicted of lying on his application and vetting forms to join the Met and having terror documents detailing knife combat and making explosive devices

Hannam (above) was convicted of lying on his application and vetting forms to join the Met and having terror documents detailing knife combat and making explosive devices

Hannam (above) was convicted of lying on his application and vetting forms to join the Met and having terror documents detailing knife combat and making explosive devices

HOW BEN HANNAM BECAME INVOLVED IN NEO-NAZI GROUP NATIONAL ACTION 

Young, white and socially-awkward, Benjamin Hannam was a prime target for neo-Nazi group National Action.

Frustrated at being rejected by his Muslim girlfriend’s family, Hannam was swallowed up by a dangerous online world.

It led him to join NA’s London branch, seduced by free stickers, outdoor activities and the friendship of a ‘cool’ big brother-type figure.

Even after it was banned in December 2016, Hannam – who has autism – continued to associate with some of the same people.

He was filmed spray painting fascist graffiti just weeks before he applied to join the Metropolitan Police in July 2017.

Hannam, now aged 22, of Enfield in north London, was brought up by his single parent mother along with two sisters and a younger bother.

Since his father left, he referred to himself as having ‘control of the house’, the Old Bailey heard.

Hannam said his ‘gay’ grandfather tried to provide a ‘fatherly’ role, but he had more recently suffered from cancer.

During the pandemic, it was his Jewish step-grandfather ‘pops’ who was the ‘pillar’ of the family, he said.

Despite purporting to have friends with different ethnic backgrounds, Hannam appeared to foster ‘intolerant’ views at Winchmore School in Enfield.

History teacher Lisa Hughes told the court that during a Brexit debate in 2016, in which he spoke for leaving the European Union, Hannam made ‘inappropriate’ anti-immigration comments and ‘came across as offensive to students’.

In May 2017, she refused to submit an A-level politics dissertation because of his ‘intolerant’ view of Islam.

Hannam was referred to guidance adviser Hafida Zitouni, who described him as ‘respectful’ and ‘polite’ even though he avoided the issue.

Over the course of around 15 sessions, he spoke instead about his frustrations that his Mauritian Muslim girlfriend’s parents did not accept him.

Ms Zitouni also noted he appeared to lack self-confidence around Valentine’s Day and exams.

Giving evidence, Hannam described the difficulties in his three-and-a-half-year secret relationship, which began in 2014.

He said his girlfriend’s parents were ‘really strict’ and ‘hated’ him, even though he tried to study Islam.

At the time, his interests ranged from Japanese anime, Dungeons and Dragons and languages – including the Lord of the Rings’ Elvish.

From the age of around 16, he also developed a darker fascination with fascism, which he was exposed to online through 4Chan, an anonymous bulletin board.

He said he was drawn into it through the artwork and imagery of fascism, which he likened to Star Wars Stormtroopers.

Hannam told jurors: ‘It was the look and aesthetic of fascism that started it. The bold look of the images.’

The defendant said he went in search of friends he could talk about politics with, because he ‘struggled socially’.

He told jurors: ‘It makes sense now I know I’m autistic. I struggle reading people’s faces.

‘As I’ve grown older, I’ve become better at communication skills.

‘My interests were always vastly different from everyone else’s. When I was at secondary school, after my dad left I got stuck with a behavioural team.

‘At secondary school my interests were fantasy and Dungeons and Dragons. It’s really Big Bang Theory-esque.

‘I could not discuss politics with anyone. I felt very lonely.’

In 2014, he said he downloaded mass killer Anders Breivik’s extreme right wing manifesto because it was ‘free’.

He claimed only to have read the first 20 pages, finding it ‘boring’, although he kept the copy.

Hannam, who had Nazi-style posters by his bed, said he first became aware of NA through discussions on 4Chan.

He said: ‘Originally the long-term thing was the social isolation and the short-term thing I was on 4Chan and they were pumping out these good quality pictures and I thought these are really professional.’

He emailed the London branch of NA after watching co-founder Benjamin Raymond saying he wanted ‘university educated young men’ on the television, he said.

During his first meeting at a pub in Paddington, Hannam was impressed by the organiser Ivan, who handed out free stickers and NA badges.

Afterwards, he wrote in his diary they were a ‘good bunch of lads’ and that he ‘cannot wait to get more involved’.

Hannam said he was instructed to join fascist web forum Iron March, where he found more extremist literature and images. 

He went on to attend the NA conference in Liverpool and went to boxing and graffiti events even after NA was banned.

But he insisted he had never been a member of NA because he did not go to demonstrations or banner drops. 

Towards the end of his association with NA, Hannam said he had been beaten up and the last straw was hearing a ‘Satanist’ talk about the rape of women, he claimed.

Describing the alleged incident, he said: ‘One guy had a machete, literally frothing from the mouth talking about raping women and I said ‘how can you say that, you have a mum, how would you feel if your mum heard you say this’.

‘I was sick of hate. I was fed up. They kept giving me things for free. I just wanted to hang out with them. In the end it got too sick. That was it. I left.’

Hannam denied he had ever been a member either before or after NA was proscribed. 

 

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Over the course of around 15 sessions, he spoke instead about his frustrations that his Mauritian Muslim girlfriend’s parents did not accept him. Ms Zitouni also noted he appeared to lack self-confidence around Valentine’s Day and exams.

Giving evidence, Hannam described the difficulties in his three-and-a-half-year secret relationship, which began in 2014. He said his girlfriend’s parents were ‘really strict’ and ‘hated’ him, even though he tried to study Islam.

At the time, his interests ranged from Japanese anime, Dungeons and Dragons and languages – including the Lord of the Rings’ Elvish.

From the age of around 16, he also developed a darker fascination with fascism, which he was exposed to online through 4Chan, an anonymous bulletin board.

He said he was drawn into it through the artwork and imagery of fascism, which he likened to Star Wars Stormtroopers.

Hannam told the court: ‘It was the look and aesthetic of fascism that started it. The bold look of the images.’

The defendant said he went in search of friends he could talk about politics with, because he ‘struggled socially’.

He told jurors: ‘It makes sense now I know I’m autistic. I struggle reading people’s faces. As I’ve grown older, I’ve become better at communication skills. My interests were always vastly different from everyone else’s. 

‘When I was at secondary school, after my dad left I got stuck with a behavioural team. At secondary school my interests were fantasy and Dungeons and Dragons. It’s really Big Bang Theory-esque. I could not discuss politics with anyone. I felt very lonely.’

In 2014, Hannam said he downloaded mass killer Anders Breivik’s extreme right wing manifesto because it was ‘free’. He claimed only to have read the first 20 pages, finding it ‘boring’, although he kept the copy.

Hannam, who had Nazi-style posters by his bed, said he first became aware of NA through discussions on 4Chan.

He said: ‘Originally the long-term thing was the social isolation and the short-term thing I was on 4Chan and they were pumping out these good quality pictures and I thought these are really professional.’

He emailed the London branch of NA after watching co-founder Benjamin Raymond saying he wanted ‘university educated young men’ on the television, he said.

During his first meeting at a pub in Paddington, Hannam was impressed by the organiser Ivan, who handed out free stickers and NA badges. Afterwards, he wrote in his diary they were a ‘good bunch of lads’ and that he ‘cannot wait to get more involved’.

Hannam said he was instructed to join fascist web forum Iron March, where he found more extremist literature and images.

He said: ‘I had not heard of Iron March until Ivan told me. At the meeting I was really really impressed by Ivan. Handsome, confident, intelligent.  He seemed really happy I showed up. He was giving me free stuff.

‘He said if you want to come and hang again you have to make a post on Iron March, a right wing website.

‘The purpose was to increase the clout. At the time I do things without questioning them and that’s really obvious when you ask my sergeant in the police.

‘Ivan just told me to do it. I thought he was really cool. I said OK. He said mention (NA co-founder) Alex Davies and mention some Nazi stuff and I thought it was just an introductory post.

‘He said after you’ve been approved you have to keep posting otherwise your profile is closed. You’ve got to say things in the website that fit in with the ideology. I was desperate for his approval. I just felt he was a much cooler older guy.’

Hannam went on to attend the NA conference in Liverpool and went to boxing and graffiti events even after NA was banned. But he insisted he had never been a member of NA because he did not go to demonstrations or banner drops.

He said: ‘I stuck to social activities. Most of the time was going to the pub and going for walks. Other times camping or going boxing. Often it was just young men meeting up getting some snacks and some food and going for a walk.’

Towards the end of his association with NA, Hannam said he had been beaten up and the last straw was hearing a ‘Satanist’ talk about the rape of women, he claimed.

Describing the alleged incident, he said: ‘One guy had a machete, literally frothing from the mouth talking about raping women and I said ‘how can you say that, you have a mum, how would you feel if your mum heard you say this’.

‘I was sick of hate. I was fed up. They kept giving me things for free. I just wanted to hang out with them. In the end it got too sick. That was it. I left.’

Hannam denied he had ever been a member either before or after NA was proscribed. He also claimed that NA was ‘not similar to the BNP’ as it was not a political party.

But when he launched the organisation, Mr Davies was quoted as saying: ‘We are like the BNP but more radical.’ 

Professor Matthew Feldman, of Teesside University, was asked for his assessment of how far Hannam had been radicalised.

The expert on post-war right wing extremism said: ‘The physical and digital items possessed or communicated by Mr Hannam is consistent with engagement with right-wing extremism, in particular adherence to fascist ideology and potentially veiled but none-the-less evident neo-Nazi mindset.’

Hannam’s activities with the NA can be tracked from March 2016 to July 2017, when the defendant spray painted the symbol for an NA alias – NS131 – in a storm drain on the outskirts of Swindon, which was filmed for a promotional video.

In the film, Hannam is heard to say: ‘Do you mind if I throw my hood up, thanks. My hair, my hair identifies me.’

Days later, on July 19, Hannam applied to join Scotland Yard, fraudulently denying he had ever been a member of the British National Party ‘or similar organisation’.

Throughout his activity with the NA, he posed in an official photograph on Crosby Beach at a conference in Liverpool in April 2016, and continued to meet with high-profile people linked to the group after it was proscribed that December.

Several posters were found on the wall of Hannam's bedroom wall following his arrest

Several posters were found on the wall of Hannam's bedroom wall following his arrest

Several posters were found on the wall of Hannam’s bedroom wall following his arrest 

Hannam's association with NA ended before he began working for the Met and counter-terrorism officers acted 'swiftly' once he had been identified as a suspect

Hannam's association with NA ended before he began working for the Met and counter-terrorism officers acted 'swiftly' once he had been identified as a suspect

Hannam’s association with NA ended before he began working for the Met and counter-terrorism officers acted ‘swiftly’ once he had been identified as a suspect

In January 2017, he travelled to Swindon pubs where he met NA co-founder Alex Davies and others. And in April of the same year, he took part in outdoor boxing in woodland which was filmed on Mr Davies’ camera. 

As early as May 2014, Hannam had expressed intolerant views, writing: ‘I’m not racist, I just don’t like people who’s skin is darker than mine! (sic)’ 

He had stored on a USB stick two documents said to be useful to a terrorist.

Mass murderer Anders Breivik’s manifesto contained guidance on making radiological, chemical and biological weapons, and improvised explosive devices while the second document detailed how to carry out a fatal knife attack.

In his defence, Hannam denied he had ever been a member of NA before or after it was banned.

The ideology of NA was described in court as based on 'Aryan purity' and hatred of non-white groups, particularly Jews. Pictured: Hannam spray painting graffiti

The ideology of NA was described in court as based on 'Aryan purity' and hatred of non-white groups, particularly Jews. Pictured: Hannam spray painting graffiti

The ideology of NA was described in court as based on ‘Aryan purity’ and hatred of non-white groups, particularly Jews. Pictured: Hannam spray painting graffiti

A notebook found in the bedroom of Hannam contained a sticker for National Action

A notebook found in the bedroom of Hannam contained a sticker for National Action

A notebook found in the bedroom of Hannam contained a sticker for National Action

Hannam poses next to a National Action flag in images shown to jurors at the Old Bailey

Hannam poses next to a National Action flag in images shown to jurors at the Old Bailey

Hannam poses next to a National Action flag in images shown to jurors at the Old Bailey

Checks found ‘nothing of concern’ in his work at the Metropolitan Police and no complaints from colleagues or members of the public about his behaviour.

Before his arrest, Hannam had an ‘unremarkable career’, apart from receiving a final warning for gross misconduct in 2018 for using his brother’s Oyster card.

Before his trial, Hannam had requested an indication from Judge Anthony Leonard QC of the likely sentence if he pleaded guilty. The judge declined to give a formal indication, but said conviction would lead to a jail sentence.

He will be sentenced on Friday, April 23. 

Police found business cards for National Action reading 'Young Radical Nationalist'

Police found business cards for National Action reading 'Young Radical Nationalist'

Police found business cards for National Action reading ‘Young Radical Nationalist’

Pictured: Hannam's notebook

Pictured: Hannam's notebook

Pictured: Hannam's notebook

Pictured: Hannam's notebook

Pictured: Notebooks found in the home of Hannam, which was raided by police last year

Hannam (second right) seen during a neo-Nazi gathering in images shown to jurors

Hannam (second right) seen during a neo-Nazi gathering in images shown to jurors

Hannam (second right) seen during a neo-Nazi gathering in images shown to jurors

Following his arrest last March, officers seized a USB stick from his home which contained manuals detailing the production of biological weapons. Pictured: His bedroom

Following his arrest last March, officers seized a USB stick from his home which contained manuals detailing the production of biological weapons. Pictured: His bedroom

Following his arrest last March, officers seized a USB stick from his home which contained manuals detailing the production of biological weapons. Pictured: His bedroom

The bedroom also contained piles of clutter and rubbish, alongside a guitar and keyboard

The bedroom also contained piles of clutter and rubbish, alongside a guitar and keyboard

The bedroom also contained piles of clutter and rubbish, alongside a guitar and keyboard

Also found in his bedroom was a notebook with a sticker of Rudolf Hess, a prominent leader of the Nazi regime

Also found in his bedroom was a notebook with a sticker of Rudolf Hess, a prominent leader of the Nazi regime

Also found in his bedroom was a notebook with a sticker of Rudolf Hess, a prominent leader of the Nazi regime

Some of Hannam’s former associates have been convicted over their activities.

In 2019, Oskar Dunn-Koczorowski, then 18, from west London, was given an 18-month detention and training order for encouraging an attack on Prince Harry, calling him a ‘race traitor’.

The same year, Elliott Richards-Good, 20, of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was convicted of stirring up racial hatred and sentenced to 16 months in a young offender institution.

London branch organiser Mark Jones, 25, Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax in West Yorkshire, was convicted of belonging to NA and jailed for five-and-a-half years in 2020.

Books are seen scattered on the window ledge of Hannam's bedroom in Edmonton, London

Books are seen scattered on the window ledge of Hannam's bedroom in Edmonton, London

Books are seen scattered on the window ledge of Hannam’s bedroom in Edmonton, London

Another notebook found in Hannam's home, which contained details of his student finace

Another notebook found in Hannam's home, which contained details of his student finace

Another notebook found in Hannam’s home, which contained details of his student finace

What is National Action and when was the neo-Nazi terror group formed?

National Action was the first extreme right-wing group to be proscribed since World War Two, and the 85th group to be proscribed in the UK.

It was most likely co-founded by Benjamin Raymond and Alex Davies in 2013 and operated by targeting university campuses as sites for flyering and recruitment in its ‘reign of terror’.

It was an uncompromising Neo-Nazi group that expressed virulent hatred for non-whites and ‘especially Jews’, glorifying Hitler and inciting violence against its perceived enemies. 

Mark Jones, 25, had played ‘a significant role in the continuation of the organisation’ after its ban, and was involved in organising training camps and ‘grooming’ recruits, jurors heard.  

The extreme right-wing group, labelled ‘racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic’ by the then-home secretary Amber Rudd, was banned in December 2016 after calling on followers to emulate the killer of the MP Jo Cox. 

National Action was said to have recruited via close friendship networks or by word of mouth, never exceeding 100 members with no more than two or three dozen attendees at each rally.

In September 2013 the group released a ‘Strategy and Promotion’ document detailing their plans to ‘make way for National Socialism to enter British politics.’

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