Member of far-right group Patriotic Alternative who told Telegram followers Hitler did “nothing wrong” is jailed

A member of the far-right group Patriotic Alternative who said that Adolf Hitler did “nothing wrong” has been jailed.

Kristofer Thomas Kearney, 39, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday where he pleaded guilty to two counts of disseminating terrorist publications. 

Mr Kearney was described as an “alleged far-right fitness guru” who operated under the online moniker of Charlie Big Potatoes. Originally from Liverpool, he was living in Alicante when he was extradited in September to face charges.

In March, Mr Kearney entered his pleas at the Old Bailey by way of video link from HM Prison Chelmsford, pleading guilty to two offences of disseminating terrorist publications, both in relation to two Telegram posts on 23rd January and 8th March 2021. The documents reportedly glorified and encouraged extreme right-wing terror attacks.

Mr Kearney posted links to 89 extremist documents in the Charlie Big Potatoes Telegram channel, including the manifestos of the Christchurch mosque shooter, Brenton Tarrant, the Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist, Anders Breivik, and the shooter responsible for the Chabad of Poway Synagogue attack, John T. Earnest. 

Prosecutors said that posts made by Mr Kearney, who is alleged to have acted as ‘head of fitness’ within Patriotic Alternative, also described Jewish people as “responsible for a lot of the world’s ills.” 

Mr Kearney was said to have been a regular host on the Patriotic Talk podcast and is understood to have set up a fitness channel named “Fascist Fitness”.

The podcast host reportedly sent messages to Telegram users claiming that Hitler did “nothing wrong,” and posted quotes from the dictator in a private chat group called “west is best”.

Ged O’Connor, defending, described Mr Kearney’s behaviour as “reckless” rather than an active promotion of terrorism, but prosecutor Naomi Parsons refuted this, stating that “There are numerous videos that suggest violence is looming, violence is inevitable. The evidence is consistent with intent rather than recklessness.”

It was also said that Mr Kearney was a member of the far-right group, National Action, which was proscribed by the British Government in 2016 following repeated calls by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others.

Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Kearney brazenly posted abhorrent extremist material online, advertising it to hundreds of people who followed his account. He may have thought that, being in Spain, he could act with impunity. However, he was wrong – our officers travelled to Spain to arrest Kearney, and had him extradited so he could face these charges. As part of our investigation, we worked with the Spanish Police and their assistance was invaluable.”

Judge Richard Marks KC, speaking to Mr Kearney, said: “In this country, we have lived for many years in a multicultural society which most people regard as being enriching. Right-thinking members of any society regard tolerance, kindness, understanding and inclusivity to everyone regardless of their background as being of absolutely fundamental importance. Much of the material that you posted entirely negates those values and is extreme, vile, inflammatory, divisive and deeply offensive.”

Mr Kearney was sentenced to four years and eight months’ imprisonment, with a two-year extended licence period. He was also handed a notification requirement for a period of ten years.

Patriotic Alternative is a UK-based group headed by the former leader of the youth wing of the BNP, Mark Collett. Mr Collett is reported to have dabbled in Holocaust denial, is regularly heard as a guest on the radio show of the former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard, David Duke, and has described the Holocaust as “an instrument of white guilt”.

The group is known for its efforts to recruit youth to its white nationalist ideology. Previously, the far-right group published an online “alternative” home school curriculum condemned as “poison” and “hateful” and attempted to recruit children as young as twelve through livestreaming events on YouTube, according to The Times.

Campaign Against Antisemitism closely monitors the far-right, which remains a dangerous threat to the Jewish community and other minority groups.

Image credit: Metropolitan Police