National Action leader jailed for 8 years
THE leader of banned neoNazi group National Action has been jailed for eight years.
Christopher Lythgoe, 32, was arrested by police investigating a plot to murder Labour MP Rosie Cooper and a female police officer.
It came just over a year after fellow Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in her Batley and Spen constituency by neo-Nazi Thomas
Mair.
The plan was foiled by whistle-blower Robbie Mullen, who leaked details of a meeting to campaigner group Hope Not Hate in July last year.
Jack Renshaw, 23, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, has pleaded guilty to preparing to engage in an act of terrorism in relation to the plot and threatening a police officer. He has also been convicted of stirring up racial hatred in speeches in 2016, it can now be reported.
Lythgoe, from Warrington, was charged with being a member of National Action after it was banned by the Home Secretary over its support for the murder of Mrs Cox.
He was also accused of encouraging the murder of West Lancashire Labour MP Ms Cooper by telling Renshaw not to “f*** it up” during the meeting on July 1.
A jury at the Old Bailey found him guilty of membership of National Action but not guilty of encouraging Renshaw. Mr Justice Jay described National Action as having a “truly evil and dystopian vision” of waging a race war.