Extreme right-wing ‘conspiracy theorist’ who kept firearm in Wirral bedroom jailed

An extreme right-wing "conspiracy theorist" who kept a semi-automatic pistol in his bedroom has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Alan Madden, 65, told officers he would not have used the weapon other than in "extreme circumstances" to defend himself and his wife in the event of a "complete breakdown in society".

He said he was viewed as a "conspiracy theorist", as well as describing himself as a "survivalist", and did not believe the Government would look after his safety, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

The Czech-manufactured firearm, alongside 384 rounds of ammunition - including prohibited hollow-point ammunition, which expands on impact - were found by officers after they raided his home in the model village of Port Sunlight, on the Wirral, in September 2022.

Two laptops and a mobile phone were also seized, which showed he had "extreme right-wing views" and an "unhealthy interest in firearms, weapons and proscribed organisations".

Sentencing him to seven-and-a-half-years Judge David Aubrey KC said: "You repeated you did not envisage needing to use the firearm in the UK but in 2020, in the early stages of the pandemic, you wondered whether social order may break down amidst civil unrest and you were glad you had it in case this led to you or your wife being exposed to the risk of attack."

Liverpool Crown Court heard he brought the weapon when he returned from South Africa, where he lived for 49 years.

Three sets of nunchucks and a flick knife were also recovered from his home.

Madden shared videos online through his BitTube channel, including speeches from Adolf Hitler, the court heard.

Officers searching his devices found the manifesto by the man behind the Christchurch terror attacks in New Zealand as well as calls to action.

He also shared a video promoting proscribed terrorist organisation National Action, the court heard.

In an interview with police he said he thought the group, banned in 2016, was "commendable".

The judge said: "It is a neo-Nazi group and you aligned yourself to its beliefs. Such propaganda disseminated by you via social media featured extremely violent imagery and language."

The court heard Madden suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression.

It was submitted by his defence that there was minimal risk of death or serious harm from his ownership of the firearm.

Judge Aubrey said: "I do not accept those submissions. In my judgment there was some risk of harm in that you, a complex man with the beliefs you held, were in possession of the weapon and ammunition, albeit that they remained in your home."

He said Madden brought the lethal weapon into the country "knowingly and with calculation" and his immersion in firearms and other weapons had to be assessed against the background of his "warped ideology".

The court heard Madden, of Boundary Road, admitted dissemination of a terrorist publication on the basis he was reckless.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of stirring up racial hatred but said he did not intend to cause racial hatred, although he accepted it was likely it would have been stirred up by his actions.

Madden also admitted possession of a prohibited firearm, possessing prohibited ammunition, two counts of possessing ammunition without a firearms certificate, three counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a private place and possession of a flick knife.

The defendant, who appeared over video link from HMP Liverpool, was sentenced to serve an additional year on licence following his custodial sentence.