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Sheffield conspiracy theorist who ‘applauded’ murder of two MPs jailed for 12 years under terrorism laws
A Sheffield conspiracy theorist who ‘applauded’ the murder of two MPs has been jailed for 12 years under terrorism laws.
Darren Reynolds, who was cleared of conspiracy to commit criminal damage in relation to 5G masts, for which he was co-accused, was jailed for 12 years, with an additional year on licence, after being found guilty of eight terrorist offences linked to his “extreme right wing, antisemitic and racist views”.
He had been co-accused of conspiracy to commit criminal damage to 5G masts, with Christine Grayson, 59, who was convicted on that charge and jailed for 12 months.
The court heard Reynolds, 60, discussed armed uprisings and advocated violence towards people he called “traitors”.
His comments included describing Parliament as “a nest of Jews, foreigners and collaborators” and repeatedly calling for MPs to be hanged.
In September 2021 he wrote: “We need to destroy the Jews once and for all… TOTAL ANNIHILATION, NO TRIALS, NO PRISONERS.”
He “applauded the callous murders” of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, Judge Guy Kearl KC said.
Lee Karu, mitigating for Reynolds, said this was a case of “free speech gone completely wrong and a line crossed”.
But the judge said Reynolds “was well beyond that line,” telling him: “This was not free speech. This was a persistent message of hatred and a deliberate call to arms.”
Jurors found Reynolds guilty of encouraging terrorism with online comments, and disseminating a terrorist publication by sharing a link to a neo-Nazi website.
He was also convicted of six offences of possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing an act of terrorism, including a manual on how to build a .50 Browning calibre single shot rifle, and a document called How to Become an Assassin.
Reynold’s was appearing in court alongside Grayson, who was jailed for 12 months for plotting to destroy 5G masts. She discussed “getting rid” of the mobile phone masts with expanding foam and angle grinders, after “becoming obsessed” with the belief they were linked to the Covid-19 vaccine.
The judge said she was a “person of good character” and regular charity fundraiser, who started to post online about 5G dangers from 2021-22.
He said although Grayson “did not get beyond the planning stage”, she chose to take the law into her own hands, discussing methods of removing them, saying she needed a “sabotage team”, and posting videos of burning masts.
She was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with half to be served on licence, but will be released “almost immediately” after spending nine months in custody while on remand.
Opening the case to jurors in April, prosecutor Tom Storey said the defendants knew each other through social media platform Telegram, both regular users between 2020 and 2022.
When police searched their addresses they found a crossbow and crossbow bolts at Grayson’s home. At Reynolds’ they discovered two replica assault rifles.
The court heard both defendants strongly opposed the 5G network rollout, and regarded 5G masts as “enemy infrastructure”.
Grayson, of Boothwood Road, York, was convicted of one offence of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and cleared of one charge of encouraging terrorism.
Reynolds, of Newbould Crescent, Beighton, was found guilty of one count of encouraging terrorism, one of disseminating a terrorist publication and six of possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing an act of terrorism.
He was cleared of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and two counts of disseminating a terrorist publication.
