British Terror Cop Jailed

The first British police officer to be convicted of belonging to a neo-Nazi terrorist group, has been jailed

Ben Hannam, was sentenced to four years and four months at the Old Bailey.

The 22 year old was found guilty of membership of right-wing extremist group National Action (NA) after it was banned in 2016 until September 2017.

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.

Hannam, who pleaded guilty to possessing an indecent 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' imprisonment on Friday.

The judge told him:

I consider what you did to be very serious and you have harmed public trust in the police by your deceit,''

I accept your politics... played absolutely no part in your policing and you provided value for the salary you obtained.

And I do not believe you had any plans to infiltrate yourself into the police force so as to be useful to the far right at any stage. There is absolutely no evidence for that.''

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.

Prosecutor Dan Pawson-Pounds said the evidence showed Hannam had a consistent adherence to neo-Nazi tropes between 2014 and 2019'' demonstrated by his internet downloads, social media comments and schoolwork.

The court heard that as early as May 2014, Hannam had expressed intolerant views, writing: I'm not racist, I just don't like people who's (sic) skin is darker than mine!''

Mr Pawson-Pounds said the Met paid Hannam more than #66,000 in salary and benefits and he performed his duties to an acceptable standard''.

Scotland Yard has said that checks on Hannam's work revealed no complaints from colleagues or members of the public.

When officers searched his bedroom in March 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.

Aisla Williamson, defending, said Hannam's autism made him vulnerable'' to targeting and grooming by NA.

She said he was arrested some three years after his involvement with the group came to an end and that he joined the police, was baptised into the Church of Latter Day Saints and went on to form long-term relationships.

There is no evidence at all he brought extremist views to his work as a police officer,'' she said.

There is clear evidence of a change of mindset. That is both through his work as a police officer and his involvement in the church.''

Commander Richard Smith of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said:

“The public expect police officers to carry out their duties with the very highest levels of honesty and integrity. Sadly, PC Hannam showed none of these qualities, firstly by joining and engaging with a far-right proscribed organisation, and then when he lied about his past links to this group when applying to become a police officer.

“Thankfully, as part of a wider proactive investigation by officers in the Counter Terrorism Command, we were able to identify PC Hannam as being a member of a proscribed group and when we linked his online profile to his real-world identity, we quickly moved to arrest him.

“PC Hannam was a young man when he was radicalised and seduced online by this toxic ideology. Now, more than ever we need friends and family to look out for those who might be vulnerable to radicalisation and if you have concerns, then please, ACT Early and contact us in confidence, as we can help before it is too late.”