A teenage far-right extremist has been jailed for more than five years for sharing terrorist documents as well as attacking a transgender woman by kicking her in the head before posting online “Best day ever”.
Alex Edwards, formerly known as Alex Hutton, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court for causing actual bodily harm, disseminating terrorist material and having a bladed article in a public place.
The 19-year-old of Morriston, Swansea, was also convicted of breaching a criminal behaviour order for a previous offence of distributing terrorist material in 2022.
Sentencing Edwards to an extended sentence comprising five years and four months in custody and five years on extended licence, Judge Christopher Parker KC told him: “It’s quite clear that you appear to have blurred the distinction between holding and expressing legitimate political views and enforcing doctrines through acts of extreme violence.” He added that the defendant had a “significant lack of empathy for others” and told him: “In my judgment, you are somebody who now poses a significant risk of harm and you are, in the statutory definition, dangerous.” The judge continued: “You have an entrenched mindset of hatred towards others. “I am concerned about the escalation of your behaviour from words and videos transmitted over the internet to violent action, whether in the form of producing a knife in public or especially the assault in broad daylight in order to glorify your extremist views.” Catherine Farrelly KC, prosecuting, told the court that Edwards attacked the transgender woman at a park in Swansea on May 20 last year, while wearing a balaclava and accompanied by another man.