Staffordshire man admits offences

A Staffordshire man has admitted two offences after posting threatening messages on social media.

Richard Britton, aged 31 from Wombourne, pleaded guilty to two counts of publishing or distributing threatening, abusive or insulting material between February and March 2023.

Britton displayed anti-Islamic, racist and anti-immigration sentiments and used threatening language on his social media account. He also shared images of weapons online and encouraged others to do the same. The account was later suspended by Twitter.

He was arrested during a pre-planned operation on 26 April 2023 and following a search of his address, weapons were recovered which matched those featuring in his social media posts.

Britton initially denied the offences but he entered guilty pleas at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday (21 May). He will be sentenced on 25 July.

Detective Superintendent Annie Miller, from Counter Terrorism Policing in the West Midlands who investigated, said: “When we searched Britton’s address following his arrest, we found machetes, fireworks and material matching the images he’d posted online.

“Our absolute priority is to ensure the safety and security of the people who live, work and visit the wider West Midlands area."

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