A man who denied Covid and called for a violent uprising during the pandemic has been found guilty of encouraging terrorism in a Telegram group. Paul Martin, 60, faces jail after being convicted at the Old Bailey on Thursday (October 23).
Jurors heard how Martin used the handle Perpetual Truth to make 16,000 posts in the group, entitled The Resistance UK. The court heard that between December 2020 and September 2021 his aim was to stir up dissent against the Government.
Martin was cleared of having weapons “for the purposes of terrorism” in relation to a collection of blades, crossbows and arrows.
Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker said: “He was vehemently against the measures brought in by the then-government in response to the pandemic, including the lockdown and vaccine rollout.
“It was this ideological cause that drove the messages encouraging violence and other action.”
In one post, Martin wrote: “The simple fact is there is no pandemic, never has been. The main goal was to genocide all they can and enslave the survivors and make the children sterile with poison.
“That has been their target for decades… total control of humanity and absolute enslavement.”
He claimed Covid was “the biggest hoax perpetuated on humanity on a global scale”, with “fake vaccine jabs”, “actors” and “paid off people”.
Martin linked Covid jabs with the rollout of 5G mobile phone technology, claiming: “Vaccine is a poison designed to kill you off over a short period.”
The court heard that he wrote 5G “will be a trigger” and the second dose of the vaccine would be the “kill shot”. In December 2020, the defendant wrote: “It is a war you better get ready to smash skulls and destroy evil.”
Martin allegedly wrote in another post: “Target their s***: council offices, police station, road works. Take down rail as well as they cannot get their drones to work.” He went on: “Freedom fighters are classed as terrorists. Wake up.”
In a bid to counter police infiltration, Martin developed a “ruse” that he was writing a book entitled “Two steps forward, one step back”. Jurors heard this turned into a running joke among Telegram users. At one stage, Martin joked the Telegram group members were all authors. He referred to planning chapters of their “joint venture book”.
Two crossbows, arrows and blades were found when police visited his home in September 2021, the court heard. Martin, of Suffolk Road, Croydon, admitted having a stun gun but denied the other two charges against him.
He told the court his posts were “pure fantasy”, “gibberish” and “twaddle” and insisted he would never hurt anyone.
On why he talked about weapons, he told jurors: “At the time, I was thinking in my head better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener in the battlefield. Be prepared.”
Jurors deliberated for seven hours and 20 minutes to find Martin guilty of encouraging terrorism by a majority of nine to one.
Judge Richard Marks KC ordered a report and adjourned sentencing until December 18. He granted Martin continued bail, but warned him he faced an immediate jail sentence given the “seriousness” of the offence.