Sentence of ex-student told to read classics after terror conviction reviewed
Ben John, who police described as a white supremacist with a neo-Nazi ideology, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence at Leicester Crown Court last August.
A former student told to read classic literature after being convicted of a terrorism offence will have his sentence reviewed by the Court of Appeal.
Ben John, who police described as a white supremacist with a neo-Nazi ideology, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence at Leicester Crown Court last August.
The then-21-year-old was found guilty of possessing a record of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
John was invited by a judge to read famous works, including Pride And Prejudice and A Tale Of Two Cities, as he was given a five-year serious crime prevention order.
At a hearing earlier this month, John told Judge Timothy Spencer: “I enjoyed Shakespeare more than I did Jane Austen but I still enjoyed Jane Austen by a degree.”
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme and it will be considered by senior judges on Wednesday.
Solicitor General Alex Chalk QC is expected to attend the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in person to argue John’s sentence should be increased.
The charge under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act, which has a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, was brought following the discovery on a computer of a publication containing diagrams and instructions on how to construct various explosive devices.
Lincolnshire Police previously said John, of Addison Drive, Lincoln, had also amassed 67,788 documents in bulk downloads onto hard drives, containing “a wealth” of white supremacist and antisemitic material.
The case in front of Lord Justice Holroyde, Mr Justice Lavender and Sir Nigel Davis is due to begin around 10.30am.
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