Cambridgeshire man who attended court in Nazi clothing found guilty of terror offence

Matthew Henegan, 36, of Bedford Street, St Neots, was convicted of a number of charges at the Old Bailey today (Friday), following an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU).

Henegan was initially arrested by Cambridgeshire Constabulary officers in April 2020, after members of the public reported receiving offensive leaflets intended to incite hatred against the Jewish community in March 2020.

Officers searching his address then found material suggesting he admired Adolf Hitler and had an extreme right-wing mindset, along with evidence he planned to continue distributing the offensive leaflets.

A document with instructions on making armour piercing bullets was also found at the address, which led to the investigation being handed to ERSOU’s Counter Terrorism Policing unit. He was subsequently charged with numerous offences.

Following a trial at the Old Bailey, Henegan was found guilty by a jury of a number of offences, including distributing written material with the intention to stir up racial hatred, and possessing a document containing information useful to terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Detective Superintendent Andy Waldie, head of Counter Terrorism Policing for ERSOU, said: “There’s no doubt that Henegan shows all the signs of someone with a warped, right-wing ideology who was intent on stirring racial hatred in his home town.

“Throughout the investigation and when interviewed by officers he repeatedly used racial slurs and offensive terms, and showed no remorse whatsoever for his actions. This was particularly clear when he attended court, firstly in a face mask bearing the swastika emblem and subsequently dressed in Nazi-like clothing.

“Despite clear and overwhelming evidence, he continued to waste police time and resources by failing to acknowledge the severity of his actions. There is absolutely no place for anti-Semitism in our society, and I’m glad the weight of evidence gathered by detectives has left the jury with no alternative than to find him guilty.”

Sergeant Rob Streater, from Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s St Neots Neighbourhood Policing Team, added: “Thanks to the hard work of the local neighbourhood officers, who responded quickly to the initial letters being distributed, we were able to identify Henegan as being responsible.

“The team’s thorough investigation into Henegan and his home then revealed further cause for concern which they escalated to ERSOU. It is only due to this escalation and the close working relationship we have achieved this outcome today.

“We hope his sentence will provide some assurance to the local community and Cambridgeshire residents as a whole, who will no longer be subjected to this dangerous individual and his warped ideologies.”

Henegan was found guilty of seven offences in total. These are:

Possessing a document containing information useful to terrorism, contrary to Section 58(1)(b) of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Two counts of publishing written material with the intention to stir up racial hatred, contrary to section 19(1) Public Order Act 1986.

Two counts of distributing visual/sound recordings with the intention to stir up racial hatred, contrary to section 19(1) Public Order Act 1986.

Distributing written material with the intention to stir up racial hatred, contrary to section 19(1) Public Order Act 1986.

Possessing written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting, with the intention to stir up racial hatred, contrary to section 19(1) Public Order Act 1986.

He is due to be sentenced on 14 January.