Ivan Jennings, a dad of four, has been jailed for encouraging terrorism in an online chat as he encouraged attacks on migrants and how to use poisonous mushrooms in the food of Jews and Muslims
A right-wing extremist who encouraged attacks on migrants crossing the Channel and discussed how to put poisonous mushrooms in the food of Jews and Muslims has been jailed.
Father-of-four Ivan Jennings, 46, made extremist posts on Telegram over a three-month period, including identifying an event celebrating Pakistan’s independence day as a target and calling for the killing of hundreds of “subhumans”.
He pleaded guilty to encouraging terrorism in an online chat between August 15 and November 14 2024 and dissemination of a terrorism publication, namely a manifesto by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, on August 21 2024.
Jennings, who worked at a warehouse, was jailed for five years and three months and handed a further five years on extended licence at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday (September 16).
Prosecutor Daniel Oscroft told the court former local councillor Jennings had been an “active participant” in at least seven extreme right-wing groups on Telegram.
Jennings, who joined far-right organisation Patriotic Alternative in early 2024, told one of the groups he was in touch with a man “who wanted to go in a boat and make a difference to the amount of people coming into the UK”, the court heard.
In another post, when asked if he supported murder, the defendant wrote: “It’s not murder because we are at war. If it’s subhumans, it’s justified and actually needed”.
On August 22, he searched online for motorboat chartering services at Dover and how much it costs to hire a boat in the UK.
A week later, another user shared a video of a boat, on which Jennings commented “we need one of those to take out the dinghy divers”.
He told another chat group “something needed to be done soon” and each person “needs to take out at least 200 and stop the constant influx” of migrants.
The defendant also shared a post about an event in Manchester celebrating Pakistan’s independence day, identifying it as a target with the message: “We need to start acting.”
He made reference to the 51 people killed in the Christchurch terror attacks, a mass shooting at two mosques in New Zealand on October 15 2019, adding that “we need a bigger impact”.
The court heard another user commented on the post about the Pakistan event: “It disgusts me to see that in the UK”, to which the defendant replied: “Exactly, we need to start acting to turn the tables.”
In another comment about the Pakistan event, Jennings wrote: “If I go to prison for anything, it’s going to be for making a real change.”
Mr Oscroft told the court: “In a smaller group of eight participants, there was discussion about the most poisonous mushrooms and how to get them into the food of Jews or Muslims.”
Jennings, of Holmcroft Road, Stafford, shared a link to 25 people called “books you are not supposed to read”, Mr Oscroft said.
The court was told publications on the link included a manifesto by Breivik, which is made up of more than 15 pages and details the author’s preparation for his attack.
Defence barrister Oliver Renton said Jennings was “struggling with deep existential fears about himself” after he collapsed at work in 2023 in cardiac arrest.
Mr Renton said Jennings, who left JD Sports and Tesco bags of belongings outside the dock for his sentencing, then descended into “fear and isolation” and became susceptible to “nihilistic, bleak world views”.
The barrister said Jennings had been described by others as a “good neighbour” and “good man of his community” who served as a councillor.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Andrew Lockhart KC said Jennings had “deeply held abhorrent and racist views”.
The judge said Jennings now accepts he “dehumanised whole groups of people” including Jews and Muslims.
The court heard the defendant admitted the charges on the basis he was reckless as to whether his actions would encourage other acts of terrorism.
Jennings pleaded not guilty to possession of a document for terrorist purposes, namely The Great Replacement by Brenton Tarrant, on November 14 2024, but this count was ordered to lie on the file at sentencing.