A man from West London has been convicted for encouraging others to carry out violent terrorist attacks in response to the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Patrick Ruane, 55, was found guilty of two counts of encouragement of terrorism at the Old Bailey on Friday, 13 September.
An investigation by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command revealed that Ruane had posted numerous extremist messages online, urging others to target pharmaceutical companies, MPs, police officers, and 5G infrastructure. His posts also suggested bombing vaccine laboratories.
Acting Commander Gareth Rees, from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said:
“This wasn’t idle chit-chat online – he was encouraging people to seriously injure or kill others, suggesting who to target.”
Ruane’s extremist messages, which were posted on Telegram between January and November 2021, reflected his strong opposition to government policies and the Covid-19 vaccination rollout. In total, more than 370 posts were identified during the investigation, all of which demonstrated his encouragement of violent acts.
Bethan David, Head of the Counter Terrorism Division at the Crown Prosecution Service, described Ruane as a dangerous man who was spreading conspiracy theories to incite violence:
“He posed a credible threat to the peace and safety of the public, and it is only right that he has been found guilty.”
Ruane was arrested in November 2021 at his flat in west London, where officers seized several electronic devices that contained his extremist posts. He was later charged with two counts of encouragement of terrorism in August 2023.
While Ruane was found guilty of the encouragement charges, he was acquitted of possessing a document useful for terrorism. He is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 8 November.
Communities are reminded that information from the public is vital in helping counter terrorism efforts. Suspicious activity can be reported at www.gov.uk/act or through the anti-terrorist hotline at 0800 789 321.
