Man convicted of Terrorism and Firearms offences is jailed for 7 years and 6 months

A man from the Wirral who was charged with firearm, ammunition and offensive weapon offences and later pleaded guilty to terrorism related offences has been jailed for 7 years and 6 months.

Following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW), Alan Madden (dob: 31/12/1957) of Boundary Road, Wirral was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on 30 May 2023.

The sentencing followed an earlier guilty plea in relation to the following offences: possession of a firearm, possession of 384 rounds of both 9mm hollow point and 9mm Kurz ammunition and possession of offensive weapons - namely nun chucks and a flick knife.

A search warrant was executed at Madden's property on Boundary Road in September 2022, following which, he was arrested by officers from CTPNW, assisted by Merseyside Police.

When questioned, Madden admitted the firearm and ammunition belonged to him and told officers he had purchased both legally in South Africa and smuggled them into the UK.

He admitted he knew that it was illegal to smuggle the gun into the UK and that he knowingly concealed it.

At a later hearing in April this year, Madden also pleaded guilty to a TACT 2006 offence, contrary to Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000 which concerns the dissemination of terrorist publications. He further pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting racial hatred contrary to section 21 of the Public Order Act.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Meeks, Head of Investigations for CTPNW said: “Madden had in his possession a 9mm hand gun and significant quantities of ammunition which is a concern to law enforcement and the communities of Merseyside. He also admitted inciting racial hatred and holding extremist views which presented him as a threat to wider society.

“The gun and ammunition have now been taken out of circulation and will be destroyed."

Detective Inspector John Mullen of Merseyside Police said: “By working with Counter Terrorism Police North West a dangerous weapon that could have endangered the lives of others were taken off our streets. We simply will not stand by and allow people to possess guns and threaten the safety of themselves and others.

“We are committed to removing all dangerous weapons from our streets and putting the people prepared to carry them before the courts. We carry out regular stop searches and warrants like this to locate any weapons and ensure those who store, carry and use them are brought to justice. If you have any information about anyone carrying or using a dangerous weapon in your area please don’t hesitate to contact us.

"We are also committed to rooting out those who would incite hatred or hold extremist views. I would urge anyone who has information that could help police to tackle the terrorist threat to report it immediately.

"We act on every piece of information given to us by members of the public and are committed to keeping you safe."

If you see something suspicious, or something doesn’t feel right, please trust your instincts and ACT early.

Reporting won’t ruin lives, but it could save them. Acton Counters Terrorism. https://www.gov.uk/report-terrorism