William Howitt, a 27-year-old former soldier for the British military, was found guilty of preparing to commit a terrorist attack in the United Kingdom, according to a November 17 release from the UK’s Counter-Terrorism Police (CTP.)
Howitt had planned an attack on a bookshop in Nottingham because the literature provided did not subscribe to his beliefs, CTP said. His beliefs were identified based on a number of antisemitic, pro-Nazi, and anti-communist messages, pictures, and videos stored in his phone which had been seized upon his arrival at a local airport on January 5.
What was found on the phone?
On top of the antisemitic messages, police located a document entitled “Plan A” which had been created on September 7, 2020. The plan detailed how he planned to attack the store.
Howitt had argued that the plan was a false persona to create a sense of bravado and that he had written the plan while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. However, police were able to provide evidence that Howitt had purchased the necessary materials to carry out the attack only hours after writing his plan. The items, a glass hammer and tarpaulin sheet, were found at his address during a search.
A spokesperson for the bookstore that Howitt had targeted said that “William Howitt planned to damage our bookshop but succeeded only in damaging his own life.
“Had his plans come to fruition, a fire at the bookshop could easily have spread to the businesses surrounding us, putting the livelihoods of hundreds of workers at risk, as well as risking the lives of firefighters.
“Fortunately, his plans were thwarted by Counter Terrorism Policing, and we thank them for that. We will now continue bookselling as normal.”
Comments from police officials
“Howitt is a dangerous individual, who had written a comprehensive attack plan,” said Detective Inspector Chris Brett. “This attack would have been terrorist in nature, as it would have served to intimidate those who hold different views to William Howitt. In doing so, he would have been seeking to advance an opposing ideology or political cause.”
“In text conversations with his friends and acquaintances, Howitt viewed media and expressed and endorsed views commonly associated with the extreme right wing, in particular pro-Nazi, antisemitic, and anti-communist sentiments. [SIC]
“Howitt believed that his beliefs were not only acceptable, but even cool, and something that if he acted on, would make him seem like even more of the ‘tough guy’ who so desperately wanted to be regarded as.
“This is never the case. His plan showed a clear intention to make a targeted attack on a business, and thus people, he deemed held differing views to himself. Lives could have been lost for the sake of intolerance.
“In Counter Terrorism Policing we work hard to root out those who hold such damaging ideologies and pose risk of committing potentially deadly actions and will bring them before the courts.”
Superintendent Steve Riley added that “This was a long and complex operation, with officers and staff working long hours and at times under pressure to secure this conviction.
“This was a real collective effort from the entire East Midlands Region, all working with the same goal: To keep the people of Nottingham safe.
“At CTPEM we are committed to doing just that across the region.
“If you think someone you know is developing radical views, please report it to us. Arrest isn’t always the first option, we can engage with individuals to prevent these extreme views from developing.
“You won’t be wasting your time, but what you tell us may prevent an attack from ever happening.”
Howitt will receive his sentencing on December 14, 2023.