Overview
- Alfie Coleman, 21, was found guilty at the Old Bailey on Thursday of preparing a terrorist act, with sentencing due on July 8.
- Investigators said a joint MI5–Met team filmed him in a Stratford Morrisons car park on September 29, 2023, handing over £3,500 for a Makarov pistol, five magazines and 200 rounds before armed officers arrested him.
- Prosecutors outlined how his plans moved from online posts to concrete steps, including attempts to source a Skorpion and an AK‑47 in France and a diary naming targets such as a mosque and the Lord Mayor of London.
- Searches and device reviews uncovered neo‑Nazi symbols, bomb and weapons manuals, and manifestos by other attackers, and he had already pleaded guilty to ten document offences plus attempted possession of a firearm and ammunition.
- Police and the CPS said the case shows how young people can be drawn into extremism through forums and encrypted chats, and they urged families to use Prevent’s Act Early support to raise concerns early.