A neo-Nazi former prison officer who ran a fascist fitness club has been sentenced to eight years in prison for possessing a terrorist handbook.
Ashley Podsiad-Sharp, 42, from Barnsley was convicted at Sheffield crown court of possessing a white supremacist “murder manual” on an encrypted hard drive.
Podsiad-Sharp, who worked at the Leeds men’s prison HMP Armley until his arrest in May last year, was described as an “extremely dangerous” man who was likely to have eventually committed terrorist acts or incited others to do so.
Counter-terrorism police found he possessed a document called the White Resistance Manual, which contained advice on how to kill people in a race war and how to avoid detection by police.
Calling himself “Sarge”, Podsiad-Sharp also ran White Stag Athletics Club, which was described by judge Jeremy Richardson KC as “a cauldron of self-absorbed neo-Nazism masquerading as a low-grade, all-male sports club”. It was used to “camouflage your real purpose, to incite violence against those you hated”.
New members were asked if they were homosexual, mixed race or had Jewish or Muslim heritage as part of the vetting process for joining the white supremacist group, which Richardson said was for “inciting hatred” and “encouraging acts of violence” among the “ignorant and disillusioned men”.
Podsiad-Sharp called himself the “commander” and talked about his Nazi heroes, who included Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler.
During the trial, the jury watched a video the self-described neo-Nazi made after being fired from his job, in which he said: “They didn’t get rid of me. It’s been a real good ’un this job actually. Kicking arse and taking names basically. It’s been really, really good fun, lots of busts for drugs and a bit of violence.”
The jury was played a video Podsiad-Sharp made on his way home from a shift at HMP Armley, wearing his uniform, in which he said: “They didn’t get rid of me.”
Richardson said he would be writing to Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, as Podsiad-Sharp should never have been able to work as a prison officer with access to vulnerable and disillusioned men.
He said: “I have absolutely no doubt that a man with the perverted and extremely dangerous views you hold should never be employed in the responsible position you held as a prison officer. I have no idea what, if any, vetting was undertaken by the prison service.
“Although the crime was not committed in prison, I regard the fact you were a prison officer to be a very serious matter. You had contact with young white men who were vulnerable and disadvantaged and may have been ripe for selection by you had the situation presented itself.”
Richardson jailed Podsiad-Sharp for eight years, with an extension period of five years where he would be returned to prison if he breached the terms of his licence.
DCS James Dunkerley, head of Counter-Terrorism Policing North East, said: “Tackling extremist and instructional material is an essential part of protecting the public and preventing it from potentially influencing or informing the actions of others.
“We will prosecute anyone found to be in possession of such material and will continue work with our partners to remove content of concern from online platforms.”
