A young Nazi sympathizer from Lincoln who had downloaded bomb-making instructions has now been sentenced to read classic novels, such as Pride and Prejudice instead
Judge Timothy Spencer QC told Ben John, aged 21 from Lincoln, that he could stay out of prison as long as he steered clear of reading white-supremacy literature and instead read books and plays written by the likes of Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens.
Leicestershire Live reports that the former De Montfort University student from Lincoln will have to return to court every four months in order to be tested on his reading by the judge after avoiding jail “by the skin of his teeth”.
John had first been identified as a terror risk days following his 18th birthday and was referred to the Prevent programme but had carried on downloading “repellant” right-wing documents as well as a manual that contained bomb-making instructions.
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He also read about the Nazis and wrote a letter raging against gay people, immigrants and liberals.
On the 11th of August this year, a jury found him guilty of possessing information likely to be useful for preparing a terrorist act. The court heard that the conviction had a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.
But Judge Spencer concluded his crime was likely to be “an act of teenage folly” and an isolated incident.
He told John at the sentencing hearing today: “You are a lonely individual with few if any true friends.”
He added John was “highly susceptible” to recruitment by others more prone to action but said: “I am not of the view that harm was likely to have been caused.”
He made John promise him not to research any more right-wing materials.
The judge asked John: “Do you promise me that?”
John replied: “I promise.”
The judge then asked him: “Have you read Dickens? Austen? Start with Pride and Prejudice and Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
“Think about Hardy. Think about Trollope.
“On January 4 you will tell me what you have read and I will test you on it.
“I will test you and if I think you are [lying to] me you will suffer.
“I will be watching you, Ben John, every step of the way. If you let me down you know what will happen.”
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He then told John’s barrister, Harry Bentley: “He has by the skin of his teeth avoided imprisonment.”
John was given a two-year jail sentence, that was suspended for two years, as well as a further year on licence, which was monitored by the probation service.
He also received a five-year Serious Crime Prevention Order that required him to stay in touch with police and let them monitor his activity online, and up to 30 days on a Healthy Identity Intervention programme.
Earlier in the sentencing hearing Ben Lloyd, prosecuting, told the court that John had failed to respond to previous warnings.
