Two individuals, Christopher Gibbons, 40, from Carshalton, and Tyrone Patten-Walsh, 36, from Romford, have been sentenced to prison for using a podcast to promote hatred and encourage acts of terrorism against ethnic minorities. Their actions have raised concerns about the potential impact on vulnerable individuals.
The podcast series hosted by Gibbons and Patten-Walsh was marred by homophobic, racist, antisemitic, Islamophobic, and misogynistic content. Additionally, the duo openly encouraged listeners to commit acts of terror, further exacerbating their dangerous ideology.
Investigations into Gibbons also unveiled a disturbing online library containing hundreds of extreme right-wing texts and materials. This repository included over 500 videos featuring extreme right-wing-related speeches and propaganda documents. Shockingly, the library had nearly 1,000 subscribers, with the content viewed more than 152,000 times.
During the trial, evidence revealed that 23 lengthy audio podcasts, accompanied by crude still background images and music, were posted online to an account with 128 subscribers.
The pair’s conduct went beyond spreading hate speech, as they endorsed the heinous murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016 and glorified Brenton Tarrant’s 2019 shooting spree in Christchurch, New Zealand, where he killed 51 people at two mosques during Friday prayers. Additionally, they made derogatory remarks about victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena suicide bomb attack, further highlighting their callousness.
On January 4, Gibbons and Patten-Walsh appeared at Kingston Crown Court for their sentencing, following their convictions for eight counts of encouraging acts of terrorism. Patten-Walsh received a seven-year prison sentence, while Gibbons was sentenced to eight years. Both will be subject to a 15-year-long Part 4 notification order and serve three years on license upon their release, aimed at reducing their ability to cause further harm.
Commander Dominic Murphy, leading the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, expressed his determination to identify and hold individuals accountable for sharing terrorist material. He emphasized that such material can draw vulnerable individuals, especially young people, into terrorism. Officers reviewed extensive amounts of material to present a compelling case, and Commander Murphy hopes that this case and the resulting sentencing send a clear message about the serious consequences for sharing terrorist material or encouraging others to engage in terrorism.
