British extremist who spread hatred of minorities admits terrorism charges

Michael Nugent ran right-wing groups on the messaging app Telegram

Michael Nugent admitted 16 terrorism charges after running far-right groups on messaging app Telegram. Metropolitan Police

An extremist who encouraged fellow users of right-wing chat groups to carry out attacks on ethnic minorities has admitted 16 terrorism offences.

Michael Nugent, 37, ran a number of groups on the messaging app Telegram, where he expressed his hatred of minorities and shared an edited video of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand.

He shared explosives and firearms manuals and told members of his groups how to deliver bombs disguised as Amazon packages, London police said.

Nugent, of Ashford, Surrey, in southern England, used different names in the chat rooms but police linked his online accounts to track him down.

"Nugent was an active member of internet chat rooms where he freely shared his abhorrent extremist views with others," said Cdr Richard Smith, head of the Metropolitan Police counterterrorism command.

“He sought to influence and encourage other members to commit acts of violence, and passed on manuals detailing how to produce deadly weapons and explosive devices.”

Nugent was arrested in August last year and refused to comment throughout seven days of police interviews.

He admitted 16 counts of possession and dissemination of documents useful to terrorists at Kingston Crown Court, south-west London, and will be sentenced on June 23.