A race war advocate has been jailed for 16 years after pleading guilty to a series of firearms and terrorism offences.
Thomas McKenna, aged 60, who had previous convictions for firearms offences, appeared at Kingston Crown Court along with two others, Allan Crosby and Ryan Smith.
McKenna’s partner, Tina Smith appeared by video link from HMP Bronzefield in Ashford Middlesex, having badly injured her foot the previous week.
McKenna’s principal offence was conspiracy to sell or transfer firearms contrary to Section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977, a serious offence that can carry a life sentence. Other firearms offences included the conversion of imitation firearms to actual firearms and the unlawful possession of four firearms and ammunition.
Terrorism-related charges included making explosives and the three counts of the collection of terrorist information.
Accomplice
His partner Tina Smith, aged 55, had acted as his accomplice. In her case the principal offence was making explosives contrary to Section 4 of the 1883 Explosives Act, the oldest piece of terrorism related legislation in this country. She was also convicted of the possession of two firearms and collecting terrorist information.
The other two, Allan Crosby and Ryan Smith, both aged 44, had each received a single firearm from McKenna and were convicted of the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Crosby was also convicted of possession with intent to supply of 445 grams of cocaine, with a street value of more than £22,000. Neither he nor Smith were indicted for any terrorism-related offence.
Six others will be sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on 26 February, again for receiving firearms directly or indirectly from McKenna.
Sentence was passed by Judge Peter Lodder KC, the most senior judge to sit in Kingston Crown Court.
Converted pistol
The investigation, which began in May 2024, had first focussed started in on another individual, Faisal Razzaq, who was suspected of involvement in the sale of illegal firearms.
In August 2024 police stopped and searched Razzaq’s car near Notting Hill and found a Ceonic gun. This is usually a harmless blank firing pistol but had been converted into a lethal weapon.
DNA and fingerprint evidence showed that it had been handled by McKenna who had a criminal record including for firearms offences and was living in a caravan home in South Ockendon, Essex.
Three different forces involving 80 officers including armed police were involved in the operation to arrest McKenna three months later. They smashed open the glass door of his caravan, called him out at gun point and detained him.
Counter Terrorism Police and an army bomb disposal unit were later called in to deal with what was found. Discoveries included homemade grenades containing screws and bullets to maximise injury.
Automatic weapons
Police also found at least a half dozen blank firing Ceonic guns converted into lethal weapons. A number of others are known to have been disseminated to other people.
Nine other Ceonic guns were awaiting conversion. A replica AK-47 and Sten gun were also found but they had not succeeded in converting these into lethal weapons.
Police also discovered crossbows, a hunting knife, throwing axes and knuckledusters in the caravan. A number of manuals and videos were also found showing how to build bombs and convert blank firing guns into lethal weapons.
While some weapons were produced for sale to others, many were being stockpiled for what McKenna believed was a coming race war.
Hateful messages
McKenna had disseminated a number of hateful messages to others expressing violent and genocidal racist views. In one exchange with Tina Smith, McKenna said he wanted to “unalive the Muslims and immigrants.”
His partner responded approvingly, “wow they have got to be gone from this country. Shoot them all.”
Other outbursts by McKenna were spread much more widely. He told others he was gathering weapons to “kill” and “shoot” Muslims.
Other comments to others about minorities he hated included: “We just kill them all. Easier now than later” and “civil war is coming bro” and “unalive the fucking lot of them.” He also threatened to “blow shit up.”
Mitigating factors
Judge Lodder told Mckenna that he took into account the mitigating factors that Mckenna was aged 60 and that he had entered guilty pleas to all offences. The judge also did not think it was clear that “specific terrorist activity” had been planned which would have led to a much longer sentence.
However, he did consider him to be “dangerous” and passed a sentence of 16 years with an extended license period of five years.
The judge told Tina Smith her that he did not consider her to be “dangerous” and acknowledged that she was “in the thrall” of McKenna and also gave her credit for her guilty pleas.
However, he did consider that she knew what her partner was doing, was a willing accomplice and a “poisonous and deeply unpleasant character.”
He sentenced her to six years imprisonment plus 12 months extended license. She was given the option to stay and watch the sentencing of the others if she wished, but declined and left the room in Bronzefield.
Judge Lodder then turned to Allan Crosby and Ryan Smith who had been convicted on 3 November last year. They had entered guilty pleas for some offences but not others.
In Crosby’s case he sentenced him to seven years for the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition plus a consecutive sentence of three years for drug possession with intent to supply to which he had pleaded guilty. His total sentence was therefore ten years imprisonment.
Finally, Ryan Smith was sentenced to seven and a half years for possession of a firearm and ammunition. Neither had faced any terrorism related charges, nor was evidence presented that they shared McKenna’s extremist views.
Organised crime
The same applied to others known to have received guns from McKenna. Police suggest that organized crime rather than politics was their motive for getting the weapons.
Police say that they have noticed a big drop in discoveries of converted replica guns in shootings since McKenna’s arrest. The harm that McKenna has caused may never be fully known.
No suggestion was made that McKenna was a member or supporter of any particular extreme-right group though he was clearly influenced by race war propaganda.
The conclusion of this case comes a little over two weeks after a similar sentence was passed in another extreme right-wing related terrorism case that involved firearms offences. Robert Adamski, aged 29, of Leyton was caught in July 2024 trying to assemble two 3D Printed Firearms.
At his home officers also found an SS flag and pictures of Adolf Hitler. He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment at the Old Bailey in January with an extended license period of two years.
