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Terror plot Neo-Nazi facing jail Neo-Nazi jailed over terror plot
(about 8 hours later)
A white supremacist found guilty of planning a racist terror campaign involving home-made bombs is to be sentenced later. A white supremacist found guilty of planning a racist terror campaign involving home-made bombs has been given an indeterminate sentence.
Neil Lewington, 43, from Reading, was convicted in July of having explosives with intent to endanger life and preparing for acts of terrorism. An Old Bailey judge said Neil Lewington, 43, from Reading, must serve at least six years in jail.
The trial heard Lewington, who was arrested at a station, was developing a bomb-making factory in his bedroom. He was convicted in July of having explosives with intent to endanger life and preparing for acts of terrorism.
The Old Bailey judge told Lewington a lengthy jail term was likely. The trial heard Lewington planned to target Asian families with tennis ball shrapnel bombs made in his bedroom.
He was carrying components for two home-made bombs when he was arrested last October. Weedkiller and firelighters
'Oddball' defence On sentencing him, judge Peter Thornton said: "You are a dangerous man, somebody who exhibits emotional coldness and detachment.
Lewington's arrest on a train at Lowestoft station in Suffolk was by chance, after he had been abusing a female train conductor. "You would not have been troubled by the prospect of endangering somebody's life."
A search of his bag uncovered the home-made bombs. Lewington was arrested last October on a train at Lowestoft station in Suffolk, after he had been abusing a female train conductor.
Later investigation of his bedroom at his parents' home in Tilehurst found weedkiller, firelighters, three tennis balls with diagrams on how to convert them into shrapnel bombs, firework powder, electrical timers and detonators. A search of his bag uncovered two home-made bombs.
Bomb-making materials were found in a search of Lewington's bedroom Later investigation of his bedroom at his parents' home in Tilehurst, Berkshire, found weedkiller, firelighters, three tennis balls with diagrams on how to convert them into shrapnel bombs, firework powder, electrical timers and detonators.
A notebook labelled "Waffen SS UK members' handbook" included a "device logbook" of drawings of electronics and chemical mixtures.A notebook labelled "Waffen SS UK members' handbook" included a "device logbook" of drawings of electronics and chemical mixtures.
Neil Lewington caught on CCTV - first broadcast July 2009
During the trial, Lewington was described as a loner who had been unemployed for 10 years after losing his last job owing to drunkenness, and who had also not spoken to his father for a decade.During the trial, Lewington was described as a loner who had been unemployed for 10 years after losing his last job owing to drunkenness, and who had also not spoken to his father for a decade.
The court heard he spent time searching for girlfriends on chatlines, where he made racist remarks and spoke of converting tennis balls into bombs.The court heard he spent time searching for girlfriends on chatlines, where he made racist remarks and spoke of converting tennis balls into bombs.
His defence QC had argued Lewington was just an "oddball" and was not a terrorist, but "a big pest, a nuisance".His defence QC had argued Lewington was just an "oddball" and was not a terrorist, but "a big pest, a nuisance".
But he was convicted of seven out of eight explosives and terrorism charges.But he was convicted of seven out of eight explosives and terrorism charges.