����ý

An anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist who encouraged violence against Professor Sir Chris Whitty on social media has been found guilty of terrorism offences.

Patrick Ruane, from Paddington, west London, belonged to groups on Telegram that spread conspiracy theories about Covid-19 vaccines being designed for population control.

In a series of posts in 2021, the 55-year-old suggested "whacking" the chief medical adviser and said it was a "shame" a creator of the AstraZeneca vaccine had not been assassinated.

A jury at the Old Bailey found him guilty of two charges of encouraging terrorism - but cleared him of another offence.

During a two-week trial, the prosecution said that Ruane believed conspiracy theories about a "hidden agenda" in the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

While some of his expletive-laden posts - made in Telegram groups with thousands of users - expressed general anger, some advocated violence against specific individuals.

When it was announced that that children would be receiving the Covid-19 vaccination, Ruane said of those who manufactured and administered vaccines that he was "all for hunting them down" and "executing them where they stand".

Replying to a post about Sir Chris, he suggested that "all it would take is... whacking [the] target over the back of head with a rounders bat but a mace (a piece of metal ball and chain)".

This, he claimed, "would turn said target into a vegetable for the rest of its life".

In response to the creator of the AstraZeneca vaccine getting a standing ovation at Wimbledon, Ruane posted that it was "a shame there was not a sharp shooter" to take them out.

The court also heard Ruane referred to executing politicians.

Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker said it was likely the Crown would argue that Ruane had specifically targeted individuals with encouragements of violence.

Ms Faure Walker had told jurors that the posts spanned many months and encouraged serious violence and disruption designed to influence the government or intimidate a section of the public.

Ruane's posts reached a "very large audience" through two groups - one of which had 18,000 users and the other 8,000 - she said, suggesting some who viewed his posts could "have a range of susceptibilities".

The jury deliberated over seven hours to reach the guilty verdict by a majority of 10 to two.

However, Ruane was acquitted of a third charge of possessing material that would be useful to a terrorist, relating to a manual which was said to include viable instructions on making Semtex.

The audio producer, who has worked on films, posted images of Semtex and suggested using it to destroy 5G infrastructure. He also hinted that he had made it himself.

Ruane denied the charges and said his film work gave him a reasonable excuse for having a manual with instructions on how to make Semtex.

Judge Richard Marks KC adjourned sentencing until 8 November and granted Ruane conditional bail - but stressed that his position was "very serious".

The Crown Prosecution Service's counter-terrorism chief, Bethan David, described Ruane as "a dangerous man who was prolific in encouraging violence because of his firmly held beliefs in a conspiracy theory".

She added: "He posed a credible threat to the peace and safety of the public, and it is only right that he has been found guilty today."

Gareth Rees, from the Met Police’s counter-terrorism command, said Ruane was not partaking in "idle chit-chat online", but "encouraging people to seriously injure or kill others [and] suggesting who to target".