37-year-old man jailed for terrorism offences in Lancashire

Following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) supported by Lancashire Police a 37-year-old man has been jailed for 2 years and 8 months.

Kieran Turner (DOB: 8 February 1987) of Earlesdon Avenue in Earby, Lancashire appeared at Manchester Crown Square Court on Thursday 8 February 2023.

Turner had previously entered guilty pleas to the following charges:

• 1 count of Encouragement of Terrorism contrary to Section 1, Terrorism Act 2006
• 2 counts of dissemination of terrorist publications contrary to Section 2, Terrorism Act 2006
• 7 counts of Stirring up Racial Hatred by Publishing Written Material, contrary to Section 19 (1) Public Order Act 1986

Turner first came to the attention of CTPNW due to his online activity, he was suspected of using media platforms such as “GAB” to post anti-Semitic and racist views. Among numerous postings, Turner showed support for extreme right wing proscribed terrorist groups National Action and the Sonnenkrieg Division, while also glorifying previous terrorist attacks.

He was arrested by CTPNW on 9 November 2021 and numerous devices in his possession were seized for review. Substantial evidence was gathered linking him to online posts over a period in excess of 18 months that were encouraging others to commit acts of terrorism and were likely to stir up racial hatred. He also provided access to and disseminated footage of Terrorist attacks.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Meeks of CTPNW said:"The investigation into Turner's online activity revealed he held abhorrent views. The ideology he promoted creates fear and distrust and will not be tolerated.

"A lot of the work carried out by CTPNW cannot be seen but rest assured we are committed to identifying and prosecuting those who pose a risk to our society.

“Reports of this nature are always taken seriously and we would encourage anyone with concerns around people expressing extremist views to call the UK Anti-Terrorism Hotline in confidence on 0800 789 321, or alternatively, use the secure online form at Gov.uk/ACT.”

Every year, thousands of reports from the public help police tackle the terrorist threat. If you see or hear something that doesn’t seem right, trust your instinct and ACT. Reporting won’t ruin lives, but it could save them. Action Counters Terrorism. In an emergency, always dial 999.