Far-right Scot jailed for replica machine gun video

Image source, Police Scotland

Image caption, James Farrell joined a far-right group and shared dangerous material

A man who joined a far-right group and shared a video on how to make a replica sub-machine gun has been jailed for two years and eight months.

James Farrell, 32, shared racist and neo-Nazi views with other members of the Oaken Hearth group.

The former security guard also posted offensive comments and photos online about black and Jewish people.

Farrell, from Priesthill, Glasgow, admitted charges under the Terrorism Act at the High Court in Glasgow.

He was arrested after he was identified through a photograph of a right-wing book, which showed his dog in the background.

Judge Lord Clark jailed Farrell and put him under supervision for one year upon his release..

He said: "You accept you were reckless and utterly indifferent to your conduct in transmitting the video which would induce or provide assistance to acts of terrorism.

"You made the video available to extremists and potential terrorists.

"You continue to have far-right views and expressed no real remorse and are assessed as having extreme risk of re-offending."

Farrell was identified by a police operation investigating Oaken Hearth.

He admitted posting the clip which he found "edgy and cool" with instructions on how to construct the replica firearm.

'Synagogue firebomb'

The court heard that Farrell connected with the group via the Telegram messaging app in March 2021.

The group discussed terrorist killers such as Brenton Tarrant, who murdered 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019.

Farrell stated at one point: "It is about time someone firebombed a synagogue."

The group went on to talk about making firearms using 3D printers.

Farrell then shared a link titled: "The Box Tube MAC-11 - The Ultimate DIY machine pistol".

The court heard "by solely following" the instructions, a non-firing replica sub-machine pistol could be made.

Farrell's KC Tony Lenehan said: "He has views which are no credit at all to him. There is nothing to mitigate those views and the custodial threshold has been passed."

The Oaken Hearth group was investigated by the North East Counter Terrorism Unit in England. An undercover officer was able to become part of the group.

A mobile phone was seized which contained chats from Oaken Hearth which led to Farrell being identified.