Leeds far-right extremist whose racist websites inspired US massacre jailed for seven years

A British far-right activist whose racist websites inspired an American teenager to murder ten people in a mass shooting has been jailed.

Colin McNeil, 46, who pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing a terrorist publication, was today sentenced to seven years in prison.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how his two websites glorified Nazis while featuring racist material, images and videos.

These sites also commemorate mass murderers, including Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people around two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.

Prosecutors added that one person inspired by them was Payton Gendron, now 20, who murdered 10 people in a mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, US, in 2022.

Olin McNeil, 46, of Leeds, who was given an extended 11-year sentence for hosting far-right terrorist websites that spread far-right propaganda, glorified Hitler and encouraged terrorism

Payton Gendron, center, listens as he is sentenced to life in prison without parole for domestic hate terrorism and each of 10 counts of first-degree murder, in an Erie County courtroom in Buffalo, N.Y., on February 15, 2023. Leeds prosecutors say Colin McNeil’s racist websites inspired Gendron to commit mass murder in America

Evidence submitted to the court revealed that Gendron interacted with the websites through liking and commenting on racist content hosted on the sites.

McNeil benefited financially from these websites, receiving donations from users, while expressing his own racist views about them.

One of the sites, which operated like a classic social media platform, had 5,716 members, with 255,960 photos and 6,499 videos uploaded.

The other site, dedicated to videos, hosted 12,345 members and contained 79,284 videos.

The site also offered an option to upgrade to a “pro” membership for $50, which would allow the user to post videos ad-free, sell videos, and live stream.

McNeil, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, was first arrested on March 23, 2022, following an investigation by North East Counter Terrorism Police.

And today he was sentenced to an extended 11-year sentence, including seven years in prison and four years of parole.

He will also be subject to a 30-year terrorist act notification requirement.

Bethan David, head of the CPS’s counter-terrorism division, said: “Colin McNeil allowed his websites to function as propaganda platforms for far-right terrorist material.

“He profited from the sites through user donations, and it is clear that others were inspired by the hateful and racist content they were able to access online – including from abroad.

“McNeil’s actions were entirely deliberate; he knew full well that there was a risk that terrorism would be encouraged and yet he still allowed access to this material.

“The CPS will always seek to prosecute those who encourage terrorism where our legal criteria are met.”

North East counter-terrorism chief Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley said his team would be “looking out” for those involved in similar practices.

He added: “There is simply no place for racism in our society. We will continue to pursue those who facilitate and distribute these harmful ideologies.”

“I urge the public to report any concerning online content they come across to the National Counter Terrorism Internet Reporting Unit (CTIRU) hosted by the Counter Terrorism Police.”