Man who encouraged far-right terror attacks escapes jail sentence

Judge finds that Luke Crompton was ‘exploited’ online because of his vulnerability and could be radicalised in prison

Luke Crompton, 30, admitted a charge of encouraging terrorism (Greater Manchester Police )

A man who admitted encouraging far-right terror attacks has walked free after a court heard that he was “functioning effectively as a 10-year-old”.

Luke Crompton, 30, posted material calling for the murder of black people, Muslims and Jews online, as well as the burning of mosques.

Manchester Crown Court heard that he used two accounts on the Russian VK social network that prominently displayed symbols of white supremacy.

Crompton pleaded guilty to encouraging terrorism, an offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison, but escaped a jail sentence on Tuesday.

Judge Patrick Field QC handed him a two-year community order and 30-week rehabilitation course after hearing that he had a low IQ, possible autism, and had been “influenced and exploited” online.

Amid calls for action over extremism and terrorist networking inside British prisons, the judge said Crompton would be “liable to radicalisation” inside jail that could increase the risk he poses.

He told Crompton: “What you did was to post vile and hateful material on a Russian social media site over a period of about nine months in 2018.

“The individual posts were deeply offensive, dripping with hate and contempt for Jews, Muslims and black people.

“They included praise for those who believed in white supremacy and they, in part, encouraged terrorism against Jews, Muslims and black people, encouraged people to kill them, to attack their religions and to burn their religious buildings.”

But Judge Field said Crompton had been “influenced and exploited online by others who were considerably more sophisticated” than him.

He added: “I am advised, because of your vulnerability, you are liable to exploitation and radicalisation that might well occur in a prison environment, and this would reduce the prospect of rehabilitation and increase the risk you pose to others.”

Crompton, of Brindle Street in Tyldesley, pleaded guilty to recklessly encouraging terrorism by posting hundreds of messages that were “dripping with hate and contempt”.

Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, told the court: ”He posted extreme material — photographs, images and words — expressing hatred and contempt for, amongst others, homosexuals, Jews, Muslims and black people and those that consorted with them.

“Many of the posts called for and encourage extreme activity against such people, such as the destruction of the Jewish and Islamic faiths, the torching of mosques and the murder of black people, Muslims and Jews.”

Mr Bassano said that Crompton appears to have harboured or sympathised with white supremacist views, with his Facebook ”likes“ featuring numerous causes of white supremacy and viewing racist material on his phone.

But he told the court that all the experts who spoke to Crompton agreed that there was an “obsessional quality” to what he was doing and that his limitations, including social isolation and inability to form friendships and relationships, were likely to have played a part in his actions.

David Bentley QC, defending, described the posts as ”hateful“, but said Crompton was “someone who is functioning effectively as a 10-year-old”.

He said the defendant was targeted on the Internet by people he believed had a genuine interest in him and was “adamant” he did not hold racist or homophobic views.

“He did not present as harbouring racist and offensive views and, in my opinion, would lack the intellect and sophistication to conceal them,” he added.

“He is plainly a vulnerable individual who was targeted online by unscrupulous individuals.”

Crompton, who was wearing a dark-coloured coat and jeans, left the courtroom with his father and mother, who sobbed in the public gallery as the judge said her son would not be jailed.

It is the latest in a series of terror cases involving vulnerable defendants who have been radicalised online.

They include a young neo-Nazi with an autism spectrum disorder who was jailed for planning terror attacks earlier this month, and an autistic teenager who plotted an Isis-inspired car ramming.

The national coordinator for the Prevent counter-extremism programme recently warned that young and vulnerable people, including those with mental health issues, were being exploited.

Chief Superintendent Nik Adams told The Independent that individuals who “self-radicalise” online were now a bigger terror threat than those directed by Isis.

“People with mental illnesses or complex needs are now much more vulnerable,” he said.

“They’re online and they are accessible to extremists who are seeking to exploit and radicalise them … it’s a perfect storm.”

Additional reporting by PA