A man who shared videos of a banned far-right group had a gun in his house that he used to shoot "two or three people" in South Africa.
Alan Madden appeared at Liverpool Crown Court this afternoon, Wednesday, May 24 after admitting posting videos online promoting banned far-right group National Action and stirring up racial hatred. The 65-year-old had already pleaded guilty to a number of offences related to firearms and offensive weapons arising from the time of his arrest.
Madden's home on Boundary Road, Port Sunlight - that he shared with his wife - was raided by officers from Merseyside Police and Counter Terrorism Policing North West on September 15 last year. Counter terrorism officers were investigating the sharing of material on social media and were concerned with what Madden had been posting.
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When police raided the house Madden was asked if he knew why, to which he replied "not really". During the raid police uncovered a number of weapons throughout the house. A Czech-made CZ Model 83, a 9mm pistol, was found in an unlocked box next to his bed. Simon Parry, prosecuting, told the court the gun was a "viable weapon" and prohibited in the UK.
Also in the box was a bag of 9mm bullets and six boxes of 50 rounds each. The officers also found a quantity of prohibited hollow point ammunition, which is made to expand upon impact, and could be used in the CZ 83. In total 385 rounds were found in the house, as well as three nunchucks and a flick knife.
The court heard Madden had owned the gun since 1983 when he lived in South Africa. He moved to the UK in 2017 - and two years later smuggled the gun over with him after a visit back to South Africa.
Mr Parry told the court that Madden had carried the weapon with him in South Africa and in 1984 had used it to defend himself against a robbery. Madden opened fire with the weapon and shot "two or three people dead". He was arrested for murder but never charged.
Madden, who was described in court as a "survivalist" and "conspiracy theorist", told officers he wasn't going to use the gun unless there was a "breakdown in society". He said he would use the weapon to protect him and his wife as he didn't believe the government would.
A Samsung mobile phone and two laptops were also seized during the raid - and after originally refusing, Madden handed over the passwords as well. Mr Parry said police also found books by Adolf Hitler and Oswald Moseley in Madden's house, as well as a copy of a presentation by Madden himself called "Adolf Hitler, the Jew and Holocaust Lies". It was dated May last year and said it was delivered in Chester.
Investigations into Madden's social media found he had shared emails with a man called Michael Wright in 2017, where he called National Action "the real deal" for people like themselves.
The court heard Madden, who was interviewed by police 18 times, thought the banned far-right group were "commendable" - and added the group were "youngsters trying to do something about serious issues". He also knew the group were banned - and admitted to police the sharing of their material was "naughty".
Between September and December 2020 Madden shared a series of videos on his Bitchute account. He shared a video, labelled as "National Action propaganda" by Mr Parry, which was narrated by Jonathan Bowden talking about the threat posed by ethnic minorities. Bowden was described as a "cult-hero" on the far-right.
He continued to share material that showed speeches by Nazi leader Hitler - where Jewish people were referred to as "liars" and a "satanic power". Madden, who previously appeared before the Old Bailey on March 31 where he pleaded guilty to dissemination of a terrorist publication and three counts of stirring up racial hatred, said his sharing of material was "reckless".
Richard Simons, defending, told the court Madden was "of good character" and had no criminal intent to use the gun. Mr Simons added the gun had also previously been lawfully owned, albeit in a different jurisdiction. Madden also claimed he kept the box padlocked - and while he "would not be able to swear by oath", added the only reason for it being unlocked was because it had just been cleaned.
Conversations between Mr Simons and the presiding Honour Judge David Aubrey KC noted Madden had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as Guillain-Barré syndrome - a condition akin to polio that made the defendant "very unwell" when admitted to HMP Liverpool.
Mr Simons also asked for Madden to be given credit due to his guilty pleas. As well as the counts previously heard at the Old Bailey, Madden also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of prohibited ammunition, possession of ammunition without certificate, possession of offensive weapon in private and possession of a gravity knife. Judge Aubrey confirmed Madden, who appeared at court wearing a black jacket and glasses, would be given full credit when it came to sentencing.
Judge Aubrey adjourned final sentencing until Tuesday, May 29.
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