Brexiteer who kept lethal chemicals is slammed by judge
A JUDGE has made scathing remarks about a Brexit supporter who pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous chemicals at his farm.
Russell Wadge’s home at Baglan Farm, Trimsaran, Carmarthenshire, was raided by police on June 18, 2019, where they discovered dangerous chemicals, grenades and mines.
They also found a jar with a liquid in it labelled “poison” in a fridge and quantity of hydrogen cyanide which was described as “highly lethal”.
Hydrogen cyanide was also found in a freezer in Wadge’s second home in Portugal, which he claimed he was going to use to fumigate a carpet in the property.
A trial at Newport Crown Court heard Wadge was “frustrated over Brexit” and was alleged to have an interest in white supremacy and Nazi Germany, and had sent funds to the English Defence League and Tommy Robinson. It had been alleged during the trial that he had planned to use the chemicals for “non-peaceful purposes”.
The 58-year-old defendant told the hearing he did not have any extremist views and that he was an enthusiast in chemicals.
He was found not guilty yesterday of 25 counts of possessing or having control of explosive substances, and not guilty three counts of using, developing or participating in the transfer of chemical weapons.
Before the start of the trial, he had pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing cyanide chemicals without a licence under the Poisons Act at a hearing at Swansea Crown Court last December.
Following the verdicts at Newport Crown Court yesterday, Judge Geraint Walters said the case raised issues of law that should be reviewed by the UK Parliament.
Sentencing Wadge, whose case he described as a “troubling one”, he said: “You are an opinionated individual and intolerant of those who disagree with you, there’s no doubt that is part of your personality and it’s a hugely unattractive part of your personality.
“You are an uncompromising individual with views, which you are entitled to have, while intolerant of other people’s views if they don’t coincide with your own.
“You have no respect for the law by which you time and time again pour scorn on and upon the police and lawmakers in the country.
“I find it ironic that a man who has dedicated many years of his life that Great British values should return to the exclusion of all others should abandon that country and go to live somewhere you wanted the UK out of.
“If you were in part of the country where I was living, I would be keeping a very close eye on you.”
Judge Walters went on to say that if individuals were able to find a gap in the law – such as those for explosives – it would be up to Parliament to close it.
He said: “The Act of Parliament we are considering goes back to the 1800s – time has moved on and maybe our law needs to change to reflect that.
“I’m not a politician, it’s for others to hear and act if they think it appropriate.”
In mitigation, defence barrister Paul Hynes QC said his client has been in custody since his arrest in June last year.
He added: “He came across those substances some considerable time ago and were lawful at the time of acquisition and the law changed, that is no defence but we submit it is considerable mitigation.
“There was no suggestion they were put to nonpeaceful use or harm and while it’s a serious crime and passes the custody threshold, he has been vindicated by the verdicts of the jury.”
Wadge was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, but will be released from custody shortly due to his time on remand.