Alfie Coleman, a 21-year-old neo-Nazi from Great Notley in Essex, is in prison on remand after being convicted on 30 April 2026 of preparing for a terrorist act. He was caught in a joint Metropolitan Police and MI5 sting operation as he attempted to purchase a firearm and ammunition to carry out a mass shooting. He is awaiting sentencing, scheduled for 8 July 2026.
Who Is Alfie Coleman?
Alfie Coleman, 21, is from Great Notley in Essex. He was convicted at the Old Bailey after a retrial in April 2026. His radicalisation began when he was just 14 years old, when he began consuming extreme right-wing material online. By the time of his arrest he had developed a deeply held neo-Nazi ideology and had taken concrete steps to carry out a violent terrorist attack in the United Kingdom. He is currently remanded in custody while awaiting his sentencing hearing.
How He Was Radicalised
From the age of 14, Coleman began searching for extreme right-wing content online. He downloaded a neo-Nazi text onto his iPad and consumed a wide range of far-right material over several years. He penned a manifesto in a personal diary in which he set out his ideology and identified potential targets for a violent attack. Among those he identified were the Mayor of London and a mosque. Coleman idolised Thomas Mair, the far-right extremist who murdered MP Jo Cox in 2016. A search of his home revealed the full extent of his murderous ideology and the materials he had gathered in preparation for carrying out an attack.
The Terrorism Plot
Coleman planned to carry out a mass gun attack. He sought to acquire a firearm and 200 rounds of compatible ammunition to execute his plan. He used encrypted chat platforms to communicate with what he believed were individuals who could supply him with weapons. He saved approximately three and a half thousand pounds to pay for the gun and ammunition. The targets identified in his manifesto reflected his extreme right-wing and antisemitic ideology, and he planned to cause significant loss of life. His case was investigated as a terrorism matter under counter-terrorism legislation by the Metropolitan Police working alongside MI5. For information on remand prisoners in the UK and what happens before sentencing, see our guide.
The MI5 Sting Operation
Undercover officers from MI5 engaged with Coleman through encrypted chat platforms as he sought to purchase a weapon. On 29 September 2023 he was arrested in a car park in Stratford, east London, moments after exchanging three thousand five hundred pounds for what he believed was a real firearm and ammunition. The weapon provided to him was part of a controlled operation. He was arrested at the scene by police. The joint Metropolitan Police and MI5 operation successfully disrupted the plot before Coleman was able to acquire a functioning weapon from a genuine source or carry out any attack.
Trial, Conviction and Remand
Coleman was convicted at the Old Bailey on 30 April 2026 following a retrial of preparing for terrorist acts. He was remanded into custody immediately following the verdict. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 8 July 2026 at the Old Bailey. Prosecutors and counter-terrorism police described the case as demonstrating how young people can be radicalised online from a very early age and progress to planning real-world terrorist violence. His conviction is the result of one of a number of extreme right-wing terrorism cases prosecuted in the UK in recent years. For more on booking a prison visit or sending money to a prisoner on remand, see our dedicated guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Alfie Coleman in prison?
Alfie Coleman is in prison on remand after being convicted on 30 April 2026 of preparing for a terrorist act. He was caught in an MI5 sting operation as he attempted to buy a gun and ammunition to carry out a mass shooting motivated by extreme right-wing neo-Nazi ideology.
When will Alfie Coleman be sentenced?
Alfie Coleman is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 8 July 2026. He was remanded in custody following his conviction on 30 April 2026 and remains in prison while awaiting the sentencing hearing.
What were Alfie Coleman’s targets?
According to evidence presented at his Old Bailey trial, Alfie Coleman identified the Mayor of London and a mosque as potential targets in a manifesto he wrote in a personal diary. He idolised Thomas Mair, the man who murdered MP Jo Cox, and planned to carry out a mass gun attack.
How was Alfie Coleman caught?
Alfie Coleman was caught in a joint Metropolitan Police and MI5 counter-terrorism sting operation. Undercover MI5 officers engaged with him through encrypted chat applications as he sought to buy a firearm. He was arrested in a car park in Stratford, east London, on 29 September 2023 after handing over around three thousand five hundred pounds for what he believed was a real weapon.
How old was Alfie Coleman when he was radicalised?
Alfie Coleman began engaging with extreme right-wing material online from the age of 14. He downloaded neo-Nazi texts and consumed far-right content over a number of years before progressing to actively planning a terrorist attack. He was 21 at the time of his conviction in April 2026.
