Ex-soldier guilty of bookshop terror plot

An ex-soldier who planned to burn down a left-wing bookshop in Nottingham has been found guilty of preparing a terrorist attack. 

William Howitt, 27, of West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, wrote a detailed guide on his phone to carry out an arson attack on Five Leaves Bookshop, the BBC and Press Association reported. The plan included painting a swastika and “white lives matter” on the wall and referenced smashing the windows of the bookshop and dousing books and upholstery with petrol.  

Howitt was remanded in custody for sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court on 14th December. 

The court heard the guide for burning down the bookshop was written on 7th September 2020. On the same day, Hewitt bought a hammer to break glass and tarpaulin.   

Howitt was stopped at East Midlands Airport on 5th January by counter-terrorism police, who found the plan on his phone along with other antisemitic, anti-communist and pro-Nazi messages, videos and photographs. 

Analysis of his phone data found Howitt had researched the bookshop and took screenshots of the interior and exterior. He has also looked up white nationalist groups, bought an Adolf Hitler T-shirt and exchanged homophobic, transphobic and antisemitic messages with other people. 

Police found Howitt had also asked a contact for a firearm for a "politically driven" act. 

The BBC and PA reported Howitt denied having racist views when giving evidence earlier this month. He said he had issues with his mental health and would say things he did not mean when abusing cocaine and alcohol. 

Prosecutor Emma Gargitter said: "He was someone who held entrenched racist, white supremacist, far-right views. 

"Whiledrink might have given him the confidence to express those views more freely than when he was sober, they didn’t only arise when he drank 

"He was angry, increasingly so over the summer of 2020 and into 2021. His plan was fuelled by those views and by that anger." 

Ross Bradshaw from Five Leaves Bookshop told The Bookseller: "William Howitt planned to damage our bookshop but succeeded only in damaging his own life. Had his plans come to fruition a fire at the bookshop could easily have spread to those businesses surrounding us including The Works, Hidden Warehouse and Primark, putting the livelihoods of hundreds of workers at risk, as well as risking the lives of firefighters.

"Fortunately his plans were thwarted by Counter Terrorism Policing and we thank them for that.

"We will now continue bookselling as normal."

Five Leaves Bookshop celebrated its 10th birthday in November. It is a former winner of the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award and has been shortlisted twice subsequently.