A former Brit School actor who claimed he made a "pact with the devil" has been sentenced to 23 months in prison for possessing extreme right-wing terrorist documents. Declan Candiani, 26, was arrested at Stansted Airport in August 2024 with manifestos of mass killers and guides for making DIY firearms on his devices.
Counter-terrorism police found material promoting violent white supremacy, sexual violence, and documents from perpetrators who killed 128 people in mass attacks. The devices contained manifestos from Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway, and Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 in Christchurch. Candiani also possessed a document titled "Hater's Handbook" merging National Socialism with Satanism, and a DIY guide for making a sheet metal firearm downloaded in April 2024.
Judge Nigel Lickley KC told Candiani at the Old Bailey: «Examination of your devices revealed that from at least February 2024 you had accessed material because you adopted an extreme far-right mindset. You tattooed your body with Adolf Hitler symbols and began watching programmes about massacres and mass shootings. You downloaded a DIY instruction guide for making a sheet metal firearm on 14 April 2024.»
Devil pact and extremist beliefs
Candiani told police he developed an interest in satanism at age 16 while studying theatre at the Brit School in Croydon. Around 2019, he claimed to have experienced a vision of a "red-horned devil" who told him: «You see me now Declan, you worship me.» He admitted: «I did literally make a pact with the devil.»
The former theatre worker, who lived with his mother in Streatham, south-west London, had tattooed pool balls with the number 88 on his body—a coded reference to "Heil Hitler." His Telegram username was "Ian Stuart 88," referencing the founder of a neo-Nazi group. He applied to join Active Club, a right-wing extremist fitness group, writing: «Because I'm fed up with being inactive and want to do something to help my race and nation. I have experience with weight lifting, combat and nutrition.»
He was arrested less than a week after that application.
Mental health and family crisis
Candiani claimed his extremist interests intensified after his mother's cancer diagnosis. He told the court: «At that time I was dealing a lot with my mum and just hated the world and I was very angry and upset and hated everything and everyone.»
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of Scotland Yard's Counter-Terrorism Command, said analysis revealed «some of the most horrific material promoted by extreme right-wing terrorist groups, as well as extremely dangerous material about carrying out attacks and other acts of extreme violence» on Candiani's devices.
Judge's concerns about future
Judge Lickley expressed serious concerns about Candiani's future despite a letter claiming he had rejected extremist ideologies. The judge said: «Your offending in 2024 is of a type where it is right to be concerned about you and the future. You were deeply immersed in truly horrifying belief systems and associated material.»
A pre-sentence report noted difficulty understanding Candiani's true attitudes, stating «it therefore seems he is either good at masking his difficulties or there are two sides to him.» The report highlighted that while he presented himself as having no racist attitudes, «his offending and the contents of his bedroom would suggest otherwise.»
Candiani wrote to the judge claiming he had undergone counselling, rejected satanism, and now followed paganism and Norse gods. Judge Lickley acknowledged this: «I have read your letter to me, I note you want to take more steps to make sure you do not go down the path you did in 2024 again – you have said you have benefitted from counselling.»
Candiani was convicted of two charges of collecting information useful for terrorism and acquitted of two similar offences. He will serve 23 months imprisonment plus one year on licence.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
