Far-right extremist from Leeds who hosted terror websites jailed

A far-right extremist who hosted terror websites has been jailed.

Colin McNeil, from Leeds, was given an extended sentence over the two websites, which spread far-right propaganda, glorified Hitler and encouraged terrorism.

The 46-year-old was told he will spend seven years in custody and four years on extended licence after pleading guilty at Sheffield Crown Court to four offences of disseminating a terrorist publication. He will also be subject to a terrorist notification order for 30 years.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the websites he hosted honoured men who committed racist mass killing.

McNeil did not create the material on the website but did provide a platform for it to reach its audience, which police said, included people inclined towards terrorism.

One of the people who accessed the website was Gendron, 18, who went on to murder 10 people in a mass shooting in Buffalo in the America in 2022.

Counter Terrorism Policing North East said the website was "deliberately, and very publicly, unmoderated", with McNeil admitting in a police interview that he knew the site had been "swamped" by material supporting extreme right-wing ideologies.

Specialist investigators identified that McNeil showed admiration for terrorist publications shared on his website and also used the platform to express his own racist and extreme right-wing views.

McNeil benefited financially from the websites, receiving donations from users. One site also had an option to upgrade to a 'pro' for $50, which would allow the user to post ad-free videos, sell videos and to live stream.

One website had more than 5,700 members, 255,960 photos and 6,499 videos.

The other had 12,345 members and 79,284 videos.

Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: "Colin McNeil allowed his websites to operate as propaganda platforms for far-right terrorist material.

"He profited from the sites in the form of donations from users, and it is clear that others were inspired by the hateful and racist material they were able to access online - including those from overseas.

"McNeil's actions were quite deliberate; he knew full well that there was a risk that terrorism would be encouraged and yet he permitted access to such material anyway."

McNeil was arrested in March 2022 following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing North East.

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