A man accused of setting up a chat where neo-Nazi propaganda and terrorist manuals were shared has said he was “trying to fit in.”
Samuel Whibley told Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday the material he shared on the Telegram app under the account name, “Black Sun Hydra” was not to encourage terrorism.
The 29-year-old from Anglesey in Wales is standing trial alongside Liam Hill, 30, Stacey Salmon, 28, and Daniel Wright, 29, all of Keighley.
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He is charged with two counts of providing a service to obtain/read/look at/listen to or to acquire a terrorist publication, two counts of publishing or causing another to publish a statement intending or being reckless as to the encouragement of terrorism and four counts of transmitting content of a terrorist publication electronically.
Mr Wright, of Whinfield Avenue, is accused of offences of disseminating a publication that encourages terrorism, possessing articles connected with an act of terrorism, and possessing a document or record likely to be useful to a person committing an act of terrorism.
Mr Hall, of Hill Top Walk, is charged with possessing articles connected with an act of terrorism as well as possessing and manufacturing a firearm.
Ms Salmon, also of Hill Top Walk, is charged with possessing articles connected with an act of terrorism and possessing a firearm.
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Prosecutor Annabel Darlow QC told the court that Mr Whibley had shared links in the channel and chat he set up on the Telegram app to a number of books including Siege, written by neo-Nazi James Mason, and Hunter by William Pearce which feature anti-Semitic remarks, denials of the holocaust and racist material.
Mr Whibley told the court he did not finish reading Siege, and said it was “pretty dull and boring” but he had posted the link as he had struggled to find where to buy the book himself.
He said he described himself on the group as a national socialist “to fit in.”
Mr Whibley said posting the links of material to the group and “organising” them did not mean he had read them, although he admitted reading The Turner Diaries, which Ms Darlow told the court has been described as “a bible or racist guide.”
The trial is taking place at Sheffield Crown Court
She asked him: “You understand how these manifestos directly instigate and encourage terrorism?”
Mr Whibley said: “I don’t believe this is true.”
The jury heard from the prosecutor that part of another book shared by the account linked to Mr Whibley in January 2021 featured a passage that said: “Aryan men will rise again and will take back their rightful position or will die fighting for it,” although he denies reading the text.
Another chapter in the material was titled “Inevitability of the race war.”
Mr Whibley said the book discussed the author’s viewpoint “and perhaps others in this world” and added that some books on the list he shared were freely available in bookstores and on Amazon.
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He was asked: “We have been through terrorist manifesto after terrorist manifesto after terrorist manifest and your answer is that you can buy one in Waterstones?
“The list reflects your research over a period of time.”
Mr Whibley denied the list of material was curated by him, and said a later image posted twice by his account showing a burning Swastika was shared from another page.
He said the sharing of material lists, videos and images “is just internet culture.”
Ms Darlow also questioned Mr Whibley’s viewing of a video showing a woman being killed, to which he responded, “It just happened.”
Mr Whibley said of the evidence shown to the jury: “I have made repeated horrific comments throughout this and I’m not proud of it. I think its more about being stupid.”
He described comments he made in relation to the video where he described the woman as a “b****” as “a reason why people laugh at funerals. The same, weird perhaps emotional response.”
The trial continues.
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