White supremacist and son jailed for ricin poison plot

Published on Friday 14 May 2010 21:20

A WHITE supremacist who dismissed other extreme groups as weak has been jailed for ten years after becoming the first Briton to be convicted for producing a chemical weapon.

Ian Davison, 42, manufactured enough ricin to kill nine people and kept it in a jar in his kitchen for two years. He was jailed alongside his teenage son Nicky, who was a fellow member of a group known as "the Aryan Strike Force". Davison Jnr was sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institution.

Davison Snr, of Burnopfield, County Durham, previously admitted producing a chemical weapon, preparing acts of terrorism, three counts of possessing material useful to commit acts of terror and one count of possessing a prohibited weapon.

His 19-year-old son was convicted of three counts of possessing material useful for acts of terror following a trial a fortnight ago. The charges related to downloading copies of the Anarchist's Cookbook and The Poor Man's James Bond on two computers.

Davison Snr created ricin at his home in 2006 or early 2007, Andrew Edis QC, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court. It was found when police raided the property in June last year and was now stored at the UK's Porton Down chemical weapons centre. Davison Snr researched how to make the killer chemical and then followed instructions, having bought its easily sourced ingredients.

Mr Edis said: "He was a leading member of the ASF which was a neo-Nazi organisation dedicated to using violence. Its slogan was, 'Whatever it takes'.

"The purpose of the violence was the creation of an international Aryan group who would establish white supremacy in white countries. They were followers of the ideology of Adolf Hitler, who they revered, and whose work Mein Kampf was among many available on their website."

Mr Edis said the ASF had around 350 members recruited via the internet, though not all were active. Other alleged members will face trial later this year.

Members discussed posting cockroaches through letterboxes of Asian restaurants and shops with the aim of encouraging infestations and getting them closed down.

Davison Snr was in contact with a Nazi in Serbia and the pair discussed poisoning water supplies used by Muslims, Mr Edis said. The defendant also wrote on a forum: "The Jew is the Aryan's sworn enemy above all."

Toby Hedworth, QC, defending, said a psychological report showed Davison Snr was a "superwimp not a savage" who had a "fragile ego". He added: "A very small amount (of ricin] was eventually produced and nothing was done with it."

Mr Hedworth said the internet let his client feel important, by being useful to the group. "It allows people to effectively make themselves whatever they wish to be," he said.

Passing sentence, Judge Milford told the father: "A particularly unpleasant aggravating feature of this case is that you corrupted your son. The fact he sits in the dock with you today, about to go to prison with the hopes of joining the armed forces dashed, is the result of your appalling parenting."

'Terrorist books' can be purchased from major online retailer

TERRORIST books used by a teenage white supremacist can be freely bought from the online retailer Amazon.

New and second-hand copies of The Anarchist Cookbook and The Poor Man's James Bond were on sale on the popular website yesterday.

During court proceedings, prosecutor Andrew Edis, QC, said, to his surprise, that copies of The Anarchist Cookbook were still on sale.

Judge John Milford, QC, asked: "Is something being done about that?" Mr Edis replied: "I anticipate something should be done."

Speaking after the case, Detective Superintendent Neil Malkin, who led the inquiry, said he wanted terrorist manuals removed from the internet, adding that just downloading The Anarchist Cookbook was an offence.

"Clearly, Amazon needs to look at what happened today in this case and reflect on the availability of these manuals," he added.

Amazon said it was awaiting clarification of UK law on whether selling these books was illegal. If that proved to be the case then they would be removed from sale, a spokeswoman said.