Summary
Jordan Richardson has today (Thursday January 29, 2026) been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 16 years for planning an act of terrorism.
A 21-year-old man has today (Thursday January 29, 2026) been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 16 years for planning an act of terrorism.
Jordan Richardson, from Howden near Goole, was found guilty in November following a three-week trial at Leeds Crown Court. He was also found guilty of multiple offences of possessing and disseminating terrorist information.
Richardson was arrested in December 2024 by Counter Terrorism Policing North East, supported by Humberside Police, following an intelligence-led operation which discovered that he was preparing a terrorist attack.
When he was arrested, he was found to have handwritten notes in his backpack which detailed his attack plan, as well as ingredients and instructions on how to make mustard gas. Officers found weapons including a crossbow, crossbow bolts, and a combat-style knife at his home.
Richardson converted to Islam earlier in 2024, and very quickly became drawn to extremism. He searched online for instructions on how to make explosives, discussed possible targets which included a shopping centre, and researched how to travel to locations including Palestine, Syria and Iraq in furtherance of his extreme ideology.
He joined an Instagram group where he shared extreme terrorist content, including antisemitic and homophobic propaganda, beheading videos from the terrorist group ISIS, and Al-Qaeda bombmaking instructions. He told others online that he identified as a terrorist and wished to commit a terrorist attack himself.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley is the Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East. He said: “Jordan Richardson claimed that he was role playing as an Islamist terrorist online as escapism from the emotional challenges in his life. We welcome the sentence handed down today, which reflects the real-world threat he posed to the public.
“Richardson was drawn to the violent and disturbing online propaganda of the so-called Islamic State, which took him from being a new convert to Islam, to being a committed and dangerous extremist within a few short months.
“If anyone is concerned that someone they know is being drawn into extremism, I would urge them to trust your instincts and report it in confidence at gov.uk/ACT. Reporting your concerns won’t ruin lives, but it could help us to save them.”