Terrorist loses court appeal

RACIST terrorist Nathan Worrell has lost his appeal against a prison sentence of seven years and three months.

His appeal was rejected yesterday at the Court of Appeal in London – despite strenuous and "skilful" efforts by his defence team to get the prison term reduced.

Worrell, 36, of Cromwell Road, Grimsby, was jailed after a trial in December.

Judge John Reddihough imposed the prison term at Grimsby Crown Court after an eight-day trial before a jury.

Worrell denied possessing articles for terrorism purposes, between April 2006 and January 25 last year, including documents for making explosives and incendiary devices, 171 match heads, a large quantity of matches, several tubs of sodium chlorate, a quantity of fireworks containing black powder, and containers of lighter fluid.

He also denied a racially-aggravated public order offence, by displaying racist stickers with intent to cause mixed-race couple Mohammed Chowdhery and Susan Crofts harassment, alarm or distress.

He was jailed for six years for the terrorist offence, with a consecutive 15 months for the racist public order offence.

At the Court of Appeal, Lord Justice Dyson, Mr Justice Ouseley and Judge Michael Mettyear threw out the appeal against the sentence.

Judge Mettyear, usually based at Hull Crown Court as the Recorder of Hull and the East Riding, gave the judgement.

He said although the appeal had been "skilfully and attractively argued" by the defence team, which included solicitor Nigel Sloane, the judges had decided that the sentence should not be changed.

Judge Mettyear said, however, that the prison term was at the top end of the bracket.

The prosecution claimed during the trial that unemployed loner Worrell targeted the couple by putting up racist stickers on their back gate and on nearby lampposts.

The police later raided his flat and found a large amount of far-right literature and other material, as well as manuals and items for use in making bombs.