Far-Right Extremists Jailed After Plotting Terror Attacks on Mosques and Synagogues

Three far-right extremists who plotted violent attacks on mosques, synagogues, and an Islamic education centre have been jailed for a total of 29 years after being convicted of terrorism and firearm offences.

Brogan Stewart, 25, Marco Pitzettu, 26, and Christopher Ringrose, 35, ran a secret online group they called Einsatz 14, where they glorified Hitler, shared racist hate, and prepared for what they believed was an impending race war. The trio never met in person but used encrypted chats to plan acts of terror.

They were sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday after a nine-week trial in May found them guilty of preparing acts of terrorism and possessing information that was useful for terrorism. Ringrose was also convicted of illegally manufacturing a firearm, and Pitzettu pleaded guilty to possessing an illegal stun gun before the trial.

The group's self-declared leader, Stewart, from West Yorkshire, was sentenced to 11 years in prison, with an additional eight years on extended licence. Ringrose, from Staffordshire, received 10 years plus five more on licence, and Pitzettu, from Derbyshire, was jailed for eight years with a five-year extension. All three will also be subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order for five years after their release and placed under Terrorism Notification Requirements for 30 years.

According to prosecutors, the group planned to “cruise around” a target in Leeds, looking for “human targets” near an Islamic education centre. The group spoke of smashing windows or ambushing someone, and Stewart sent an undercover officer of the group named Blackheart Google Maps images of the site.

When officers raided their homes in February 2024, they found more than 200 weapons including machetes, swords, crossbows, and hunting knives. There was also body armour, riot shields, and rations. In Ringrose's loft, police discovered parts of a 3D-printed semi-automatic rifle — nearly complete except for the barrel and firing pin. Investigators believed the group was actively trying to finish the weapon.

The court heard how the group had grown disillusioned with online far-right spaces they felt were too passive. Stewart told an undercover police officer: “I want to get my own group together because action speaks louder than words.” He called himself the “Fuhrer” of Einsatz 14 and appointed Pitzettu and Ringrose as “armourers”.

A 374-page dossier shown in court laid bare the group’s ideology — filled with racial hatred, white supremacist ideas, and admiration for mass killers who targeted Muslim and Black communities. Judge Mrs Justice Cutts said all three men still held those beliefs, warning they would remain dangerous even after serving their time.

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, said: “They've idolised the Nazi party, they've glorified mass murders, and they share a hatred of groups such as the Jewish community and the Muslim community… I genuinely believe had we not taken action, this group could've carried out a violent attack and the consequences of that attack could've been fatal.”

“This was not just online fantasy,” said Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division. “These extremists were plotting violent acts of terrorism… Had Ringrose completed the 3D-printed semi-automatic firearm that he had started to, it could have been used leading to devastating consequences.”