A Covid conspiracy theorist who urged violent attacks on the UK Government has been jailed for terrorism offences.
Telegram Tirade: 16,000 Threatening Messages
Paul Martin, 60, from Croydon, flooded a Telegram group called ‘The Resistance UK’ with a staggering 16,000 posts. He called for crossbows, petrol bombs, and explosives to be used against authorities.
Weapons Seized in Police Raid
Officers arrested Martin on September 28, 2021, swooping on his home where they found a stun gun disguised as a torch, two crossbows with bolts, a massive knife, air guns, and drones. He sent 4% of all chat messages in the 8,000-member group, claiming Covid was a “hoax” and vaccines were “poison designed to kill you off.”
Calls for a ‘Silent War’ and Violent Attacks
“Paul Martin’s actions went way beyond lawful comment or protest… he encouraged others online to acquire weapons and use them in attacks.” – Commander Dominic Murphy, Counter Terrorism Policing London
Martin ranted about a ‘silent war’ during the pandemic, urging followers to arm themselves with deadly weapons and petrol bombs.
Terrorism Conviction at Old Bailey
Following a two-week trial at the Old Bailey, Martin was found guilty of encouraging terrorism but cleared of possessing terrorism-related articles. He had already admitted to illegal possession of a stun gun.
On December 18, he was sentenced to three years and three months in prison.
