Alfie Coleman is currently on remand in a UK prison after being convicted on 30 April 2026 of preparing for terrorist acts. The 21-year-old neo-Nazi from Great Notley in Essex was found guilty at the Old Bailey following a retrial, after undercover MI5 officers caught him attempting to purchase a firearm and 200 rounds of ammunition in a Morrisons car park in east London. He is due to be sentenced on 8 July 2026.

Who Is Alfie Coleman?

Alfie Coleman, born in 2004, grew up in Great Notley, a village in Essex. Before his arrest, he worked part-time at a Tesco store. From the age of 14, Coleman began consuming extreme right-wing material online, including neo-Nazi texts downloaded to his iPad. Over the following years, his radicalisation deepened as he became increasingly active in encrypted online extremist communities.

Coleman compiled a handwritten “manifesto” and a hate list in a personal diary, recording the names of colleagues and customers at his workplace whom he labelled with racial slurs or branded as “race traitors.” He identified potential terrorist targets including the Mayor of London and a mosque, and outlined plans ranging from knife and crossbow attacks to the use of explosives.

What Did Alfie Coleman Do?

Coleman was convicted of preparing for terrorist acts, a serious offence under the Terrorism Act 2006. The preparation included sourcing a weapon, acquiring funds, and making detailed operational plans for a mass casualty attack. His plans envisaged attacking prominent individuals and public places, motivated by an extreme right-wing, white supremacist ideology.

Prosecutors argued that Coleman posed a genuine and specific threat. He had not merely consumed extremist content but had taken active steps towards carrying out violence, including raising £3,500 in cash to purchase firearms through what he believed to be an illicit channel. Courts have long treated the preparation stage of terrorism as a serious criminal act in itself, regardless of whether the attack ultimately takes place.

The MI5 Sting Operation

British intelligence services first identified Coleman as a person of concern in the summer of 2023 when his activity on encrypted extreme right-wing online platforms increased significantly. MI5 deployed undercover officers who engaged with Coleman posing as sellers of illegal firearms.

The operation culminated on 29 September 2023 in a Morrisons car park in Stratford, east London. Coleman, then aged 19, had arranged to purchase a Makarov pistol, five magazines, and 200 rounds of ammunition. Footage shown to jurors at the Old Bailey captured Coleman placing £3,500 in cash into a Land Rover Discovery and collecting a holdall containing the firearm and ammunition from the boot. He had barely covered 30 yards when armed counter-terrorism officers surrounded and detained him. The firearm was an inert or otherwise controlled prop used by undercover officers; Coleman never had access to a live weapon.

His case is among a series of recent MI5 disruption operations targeting individuals who progress from online radicalisation to active terrorism preparation. Counter-terrorism police praised the operation as a significant intervention that prevented a potentially lethal attack.

Trial and Conviction

Coleman stood trial at the Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court) in London. After a retrial — indicating an earlier jury had not reached a unanimous verdict — he was convicted on 30 April 2026 of preparing for terrorist acts. Following the verdict, the judge remanded Coleman into custody to await sentencing. He is therefore currently being held on remand in a UK prison while the court prepares sentencing reports.

Remand means Coleman has been found guilty but has not yet received his formal sentence. Individuals on remand are held in the same prison estate as sentenced prisoners, though they retain certain legal rights, including the right to wear their own clothes and additional visiting entitlements. You can learn more about what remand means and how to book a prison visit for someone on remand on our site.

What Happens Next?

Alfie Coleman is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 8 July 2026. Preparing for terrorist acts carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under UK law. Given the evidence of sustained planning, ideological commitment, and the active acquisition of a firearm, legal analysts expect a lengthy custodial sentence. The judge will also consider any pre-sentence reports and any relevant aggravating or mitigating factors before determining the appropriate term.

Once sentenced, Coleman would be classified as a terrorist offender and subject to specialist provisions governing the release of such prisoners. Under the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021, serious terrorism offenders must serve at least two-thirds of their sentence before being considered for release, rather than the standard half-term considered for most prisoners. For general information on how sentencing and the Parole Board UK works, visit our dedicated guide.

Coleman becomes part of a growing pattern of young men convicted of extreme right-wing terrorism in the UK. His case reinforces the seriousness with which the courts and counter-terrorism authorities treat the radicalisation-to-preparation pathway, even when the attack itself is disrupted before it can take place. For those wishing to send money to a prisoner held on remand or following sentence, our guide explains the process in full.

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 terrorist acts. He was found guilty at the Old Bailey after an undercover MI5 operation caught him attempting to buy a firearm and 200 rounds of ammunition to carry out a mass attack.

When will Alfie Coleman be sentenced?

Alfie Coleman is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 8 July 2026. The offence of preparing for terrorist acts carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under the Terrorism Act 2006.

What did Alfie Coleman plan to do?

Alfie Coleman planned to carry out a mass gun attack motivated by extreme right-wing, neo-Nazi ideology. He identified targets including the Mayor of London and a mosque, raised £3,500 in cash to buy a firearm, and was arrested by armed counter-terrorism officers in a car park in east London during a controlled MI5 sting operation in September 2023.

How old is Alfie Coleman?

Alfie Coleman is 21 years old. He was 19 at the time of his arrest in September 2023 and was convicted at the Old Bailey in April 2026 following a retrial.

Is Alfie Coleman a terrorist?

Yes. A jury at the Old Bailey convicted Alfie Coleman of preparing for terrorist acts under the Terrorism Act 2006 on 30 April 2026. He was motivated by an extreme right-wing, white supremacist ideology. He is classified as a terrorist offender by UK authorities.