A teenager with extreme views has been sentenced to eight years in jail for planning a suicide bombing at a synagogue in Hove, East Sussex. Mason Reynolds, 19, admitted to holding neo-Nazi beliefs but claimed he did not actually intend to carry out the attack. However, the sentencing judge, Mrs Justice May, described his extensive planning and collection of terrorism documents as very concerning, stating that Reynolds posed a serious risk.
During the trial, detailed diagrams of the synagogue were found on Reynolds’ phone, along with manuals on bomb building and 3D-printing firearms. He was also the administrator of a Telegram channel that shared far-right, antisemitic, and racist views. Reynolds expressed a desire to “make Jews afraid again” and possessed videos of past terrorist attacks.
Despite his defense arguing that he was an immature young man who would not have acted on his plans, Reynolds was found guilty of possession of materials connected to terrorism and sharing terrorist publications. The head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s counter-terrorism division condemned Reynolds for seeking to spread hate and incite acts of terrorism.
Reynolds was sentenced to eight years in custody with an additional five-year period on licence. His family reacted with shock as the sentence was handed down. In his police interview, Reynolds claimed he wrote the note detailing the bombing plan to impress his friends and prove that he was not just “all talk and no action.”
The case highlights the dangers of radicalization and the real threats posed by individuals who hold extreme ideologies. It serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and intervention in preventing acts of terrorism. The sentencing of Reynolds sends a strong message that such actions will not be tolerated in society.