UK: Judge discharges BNP bomb plot jury
01 July 2007
Two men accused of stockpiling chemical weapons and bomb making equipment for use in an imminent "civil war" have been found not guilty after a jury failed to reach a verdict at their retrial at Manchester crown court in July. British National Party election candidate, Robert Cottage (49), and David Jackson (62), both from Lancashire had denied conspiracy to cause explosions with intent to endanger life. Cottage pleaded guilty to possessing explosives at the pair's first trial in February but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on additional charges leading to the retrial, (see
Statewatch Vol. 17 no 1).
Cottage, a three times BNP election candidate, was arrested after police searched his home in Colne in September 2006 discovering an enormous stockpile of chemicals, ball bearings, a bomb-making manual, crossbows and airguns. The material was the largest cache of chemical weapons ever recovered from a domestic residence in the UK. Cottage told the court that some of the 21 different types of chemical were for use in an imminent "civil war" to create "thunder flashes" to scare off intruders. Other substances, including nitrates, chlorine, ammonia and acids were to be used for cleaning his false teeth and clearing his drains, he said. His co-defendant, David Jackson, was arrested in possession of rocket launchers, chemicals and two nuclear protection suits as well as BNP propaganda; Jackson was not a BNP member but had attended party meetings.
Cottage, who pleaded guilty to possessing explosives at his original trial, will be sentenced at the end of July. He faces a maximum jail term of 14 years. Superintendent, Mick Gradwell, of Lancashire police told the BBC that he accepted the result of the court process: "We carried out a full and professional investigation and worked closely with our colleagues at the Crown Prosecution Service" he said.
The BNP claims to be the party of law and order - some recent convictions against BNP members and supporters include the following:
June 2007: Robert Bennett: Bennett, a 64-year old BNP supporter who worked on the organisation's 2002 Oldham election campaign, admitted charges of affray after attacking and beating his next-door neighbour who objected to his son's racist language. Bennett has a previous conviction for his part in the gang rape of two teenage girls for which he got five years in prison.
March 2007 - David Copeland: The London nail bomber and former member of the BNP had his sentence increased to 50 years at the appeal court in March.
February 2007 - John Laidlow: Laidlow went on a shooting spree in May 2006. He shot and wounded Abu Kamara before accidentally shooting Emma Sheridan. Laidlow told police that he was a member of the BNP and that he hated all black people. He was jailed for life in February 2007.
January 2007 - David Enderby: The BNP Redditch councillor was found guilty of assault on his estranged wife's family; she claimed that he had a history of domestic violence. He received a fine.
January 2007 - Mark Bulman: Bulman was jailed for five years after setting fire to a mosque in Swindon, Wiltshire. Bulman used BNP propaganda leaflets to ignite the fire. Jailed for 5 years.
November 2006 - Darren Francis: Francis, a BNP member, was served with a restraining order after harassing Sally Keeble, the MP for Northampton North.
September 2006 - Robert McGlynn: BNP activist, McGlynn, fined after shouting racist abuse at an Asian woman.
July 2006 - Allan Boyce: Boyce, an ex-National Front member who is now a BNP supporter, received a two year suspended sentence for passing bomb-making instructions to BNP member, Terry Collins (Collins was sentenced to five years in 2005 for his involvement in a racist campaign against Asians in Eastbourne).
NorthWest Evening Mail 12, 13.7.07; BBC News 12.17.07; Tameside Advertiser 6.6.07; Hope Not Hate website,
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