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Anglo Jihadi Terror Plotter Jailed for Life
A 21-year-old UK Muslim convert who plotted a mass-casualty terror attack, researched chemical weapons and expressed allegiance to Islamic State has been jailed for life after being stopped weeks before carrying out violence.
Jordan Richardson. (Photo: Counter Terrorism Policing North East)
A white Muslim convert who plotted a terrorist attack after splitting with his girlfriend has been jailed for life after a court heard he was weeks away from carrying out an atrocity in the UK.
Jordan Richardson, 21, who referred to himself online as “Anglo Jihadi”, was handed a discretionary life sentence at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday and ordered to serve a minimum of 16 years in prison. The judge said he had shown a “genuine ideological commitment to violent jihad” and posed an ongoing danger.
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Richardson began taking an interest in Islam while attending a gym and converted after the breakdown of a relationship. Prosecutors said he later developed an affiliation with “extreme Islamist ideology” and regularly expressed a desire to kill Jews. He joked online about entering a synagogue wearing a suicide vest and discussed carrying out an attack at a shopping center, with Meadow hall near Sheffield among his identified targets.
The court heard Richardson was arrested in December 2024 on his way to work as a gym receptionist in Howden, East Yorkshire. At the time of his arrest, police found instructions on how to make mustard gas, along with a handwritten note stating: “Throw all grenades into crowd; Shoot bystanders; Stab anyone who comes close; Do not get taken alive.”
A crossbow was discovered at his home, which prosecutors said he had bought online for £35.95 along with a pack of 10 bolts. The court was told the recipe for mustard gas found in Richardson’s possession had been assessed as viable and potentially fatal, and could be loaded into a grenade.
An examination of Richardson’s online activity revealed Instagram accounts linked to him, including one using the handle “Anglo Jihadi”. His searches included “Does Isis recruit on Instagram?”, how to volunteer for Hamas from the UK, and how to travel to Palestine to fight Jews. Prosecutors said he frequently used antisemitic language and openly praised Islamic State.
The court heard that Richardson’s online presence reflected a fixation on identity and image, projecting a persona he believed gave him purpose and belonging. Experts note that while some people express themselves through harmless lifestyle branding or slogan-driven clothing, Richardson’s use of online platforms went far beyond self-expression and into sustained promotion of violent extremism.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told Richardson that the “nature, frequency and persistence” of his online posts made it clear he intended to use the crossbow and a knife in a terrorist attack. “But for the disruptive actions of counter terrorism police you would have committed that attack within weeks,” she said.
The judge added that Richardson’s “firm intention was to carry out violent action to further the aims of Islamic State, knowing this would lead to the deaths of others”. She also told the court that Richardson had continued to express allegiance to Islamic State while in prison and was “not on the path to deradicalization”.
During the trial, Richardson claimed his online behavior was a form of fantasy and escapism, saying he was depressed, isolated and “role playing the character of an extremist”. Prosecutors rejected that account, arguing he was not merely an online fantasist but someone preparing to turn his violent ideology into reality.
In November, Richardson was found guilty of preparing for acts of terrorism, two counts of collecting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, and three counts of distributing terrorist publications.
Opening the case, prosecutor Katherine Robinson told the jury that Richardson “regularly expressed a wish to kill Jews” and had joked about carrying out a suicide attack at a synagogue. She said the evidence showed a sustained and escalating commitment to violent extremism, culminating in concrete plans for an attack.
Editor’s Note:
This report contains disturbing details related to extremist ideology, terrorism planning, and threats of violence. It is published to inform readers about the seriousness of the crimes, the judicial outcome, and the work of counter-terrorism authorities in preventing potential loss of life.
