• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Neo-Nazi police officer jailed for membership of banned group

He told a potential new recruit that most NA members agreed the “Hitler was right” slogan was “a bit too edgy” but added: “Then again, it is pretty funny and we all know our stance on the big man.”

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2021-04-30 12:07
in News
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

The first British police officer to be convicted of belonging to a neo-Nazi terrorist group has been jailed for more than four years.

Ben Hannam, 22, was found guilty of membership of banned right-wing extremist group National Action (NA) in 2016 until September 2017, following a trial at the Old Bailey.

He had been working as a probationary officer for the Metropolitan Police for nearly two years before he was found on a leaked database of users of extreme right-wing forum Iron March and arrested last year.

Benjamin Hannam attending an outdoor boxing event which was shown to the jury during his trial at the Old Bailey in London (Metropolitan Police/PA)
Benjamin Hannam attending an outdoor boxing event which was shown to the jury during his trial at the Old Bailey in London (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Hannam, who pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited image of a child, was also convicted of lying on his application and vetting forms to join the force and having two terror documents detailing knife combat and making explosive devices.

Judge Anthony Leonard QC sentenced Hannam, who was last week sacked by the Met for gross misconduct, to a total of four years and four months on Friday, with an extra one-year licence period.

“I consider what you did to be very serious and you have harmed public trust in the police by your deceit,” the judge told him.

Hannam, wearing beige chinos, a dark blue blazer, white shirt and tie showed no emotion as he was sentenced and taken down to the cells.

RelatedPosts

The latest ‘Tory budgeting trick’ is an absolute corker

WATCH: Trans activist calls Piers Morgan ‘a c*** and a fascist’ – live on-air!

Sweden joins Finland in seeking Nato membership as Russia moves nuclear missiles towards Finnish border

Poll shows Ukraine war means govt should halt plans to repeal human rights act

Background

Hannam had been working as a probationary officer for the Metropolitan Police for nearly two years before he was found on a leaked database of users of extreme right-wing forum Iron March.

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

His former history teacher said Hannam made “inappropriate” and “offensive” anti-immigration comments during a school Brexit debate.

In March 2016, he had signed up to Iron March when he joined the London branch of neo-Nazi group NA.

Hannam, who has autism, told jurors he was “desperate to impress” an older NA organiser who gave him free stickers and badges.

Hannam went on to try to recruit a new member via Iron March, jurors were told.

He told him that most NA members agreed the “Hitler was right” slogan was “a bit too edgy” but added: “Then again, it is pretty funny and we all know our stance on the big man.”

At the NA national conference in Liverpool in April 2016, Hannam posed in an official photograph on Crosby Beach.

On December 16 2016, NA was proscribed after it glorified the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox.

However, Hannam continued to meet high-profile figures in the neo-Nazi group.

Between January and July 2017, he saw them in pubs, at an outdoor boxing event, and when he spray=painted an NA symbol in a storm drain.

On July 19, days after the graffiti trip, which was filmed for a promotional video, Hannam applied to join Scotland Yard.

He fraudulently denied he had ever been a member of the British National Party “or similar organisation”.

When officers searched his bedroom last year, they found Nazi-style posters, notes detailing his membership of NA, as well as NA badges and business cards.

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.

But Hannam denied he had ever been a member of NA before or after it was banned.

He told jurors he had been attracted to fascism at the age of 16 because of its bold artwork, and contacted NA after seeing propaganda online.

“I was under the impression this was some kind of youth network,” he said.

“I have never been stickering with NA, nor have I done banner drops. I stuck to social activities.

“Most of the time was going to the pub and going for walks. Other times camping or going boxing.”

Related: Neo-Nazi police officer convicted of belonging to banned terror group

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

TLE Sports Podcast 05.03.15

“If you’re coming to visit Windsor…it’s important to do it with style” The Castle Hotel – Windsor

Spanish luxury property market continues to boom

Real Estate Investing Strategies You Shouldn’t Ignore

Lights go out on Ofgem chief as he reassures Brits that the lights will stay on

These are some of the pictures that won an international photo competition

‘This is Southgate’s England’: Video goes viral of students at Islamic school celebrating goal

5 Great… Opening title sequences

Johnson interview showed a ‘chilling’ disregard for cancer patients

British Council worker sacked after saying Prince George was the ‘face of white privilege’ loses her employment tribunal

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.