November 4th 2023.
Malakai Wheeler, an 18-year-old white supremacist A-level student, was recently sentenced to seven years in prison for sharing terrorism documents. In early 2021, Wheeler was found to possess copies of the Terrorist Handbook, the Anarchist's Handbook, and a document called Homemade Detonators. Furthermore, he shared 92 documents and 35 images in a chatroom, as well as instructions on how to use items to perform acts of terrorism.
The documents Wheeler shared included manifestos by Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Breivik and the Christchurch mosque killer Brenton Tarrant. At his trial, Judge Jane Miller KC described Wheeler as a “deeply entrenched racist and white supremacist with an extreme right-wing mindset with a sinister interest in violence and insurrection.” She went on to say that listening to his evidence was “deeply disturbing and chilling, particularly coming from a man who was just 16.” Judge Miller also noted that Wheeler had no remorse and intended to encourage others to engage in terrorist activity.
It was revealed during Wheeler’s trial that he had been brought up by an antisemitic and holocaust-denying father, and was given a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf at the age of 10 or 11. He was found to have been involved in online discussions about a violent insurrection, and videos of shootings, lynchings, and executions were discovered on his phone. Wheeler admitted to using a Nazi swastika as part of his profile image on the social media platform Telegram, and he told the court that he downloaded the documents to create an archive of items he believed would be deleted from the internet.
In summing up, Judge Miller said Wheeler posed an “obvious danger to the public” and that there was a “significant risk” of him causing further harm. He will serve the first six years of his sentence in prison, followed by a year on licence. Abigail Bright, defending, said Wheeler had a “lack of maturity” and showed signs of “really serious prospect of an early rehabilitation.”
The conviction of Malakai Wheeler sent a clear message to anyone engaging in similar activity. Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “It is important young people recognise the potential impact of their online activity, before they cross a line into criminality or engage in harmful or dangerous behaviours.” Nick Price, head of the CPS special crime and counter terrorism division, added that Wheeler’s conviction and sentence should act as a warning to anyone engaging in such activities.
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