Covid conspiracy theorist planned to ‘topple government’ with attacks on phone masts and M1, court hears

A conspiracy theorist planned to “topple the British government” with a series of coordinated attacks on phone masts, communications networks and motorways, a court has heard.

Oliver Lewin, 38, is accused of trying to recruit like-minded people across the country for the operation in 2021.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that he wanted to “topple the government” because he believed it was dominated by a Jewish elite who took orders from Israel, and thought the Covid pandemic was causing a “Chinese communist system” to emerge.

Mr Lewin allegedly wrote online that Jewish people were “running the show” and claimed they wanted white people to be “replaced” in Europe.

Jurors were told that he “believed that white people across Europe were being systematically killed by the Covid vaccine in planned genocide”.

He has been charged with preparing acts of terrorism, which he denies, because prosecutors say his conduct falls into the legal definition of “action for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, ideological or racial cause”.

Annabel Darlow KC told the jury: “Many of us may associate terrorism with bombs, or indiscriminate knife attacks – the kind of atrocities that citizens globally have become all too familiar with.

“However, as you have heard, the definition of terrorism is wider than that and provides that ‘action’ can include not only serious violence against a person, but – and of far greater relevance in the context of what the crown alleges was planned by Lewin – serious damage to property or action which is designed seriously to interfere with or seriously disrupt an electronic system.”

The defendant, of Coalville near Leicester, allegedly believed that he could weaken the government by damaging communications systems and transport infrastructure.

He is accused of doing reconnaissance at targets including radio and phone masts and the M1 motorway, and digging a hideout in preparation for the attacks.

The masts and transmitter stations allegedly selected by Mr Lewin are part of the UK’s “critical national infrastructure”, the court heard, broadcasting television, radio and mobile phone signals, and the Airwave communication network used by all British emergency services.

Mr Lewin was arrested under the Terrorism Act on 25 August 2021, after being tracked by undercover police on the Telegram encrypted messaging network and put under surveillance.

The court heard that he had joined a Telegram group called Resistance UK, which had around 8,000 members, under the name Crouching Hedgehog.

Writing in a linked group in July 2021, Mr Lewin allegedly said: “We are at war people, make no mistake. You have to treat it like one. Peaceful marching has not and will not do anything. You have to choose a better strategy. I have one that I think will work.”

The post added: “Any men out there that want to join me, give me a shout. I’m East Midlands, but you can participate in your own area.”

The defendant, who lived with his mother and stepfather at the time, allegedly used numerous Telegram chats to tell potential recruits of his plans.

“The defendant cultivated a particular online persona – committed, experienced, active – which he used to recruit other people to join him in attacks,” Ms Darlow told the jury.

“Time and time again, he told others online that war was imminent – no doubt increasing the sense that urgent and previously unthinkable action was required by him and others in response.”

On 1 August 2021, Mr Lewin allegedly wrote to another Telegram user that his plans would be a way of sending a strong message “without using violence or causing injury (as far as can be avoided)”.

“My idea is to disable vital communication and transport infrastructure,” the message added. “I’m not alone either. There are guys thinking like me all over the country and are ready to go.”

It said that they would be “mobilising” around the end of September 2021, and the defendant allegedly then accelerated his planning and reconnaissance.

In a Telegram post the previous month, he allegedly said: “Attacking critical infrastructure works. We don’t need guns for that.

“A pair of wire cutters is enough. As numbers build we can think seriously about taking the country. There are only 14k active members of [the] military. There are considerably more of us than them. They can’t shoot us all.”

Mr Lewin was allegedly part-way through writing a manifesto called the Civilian Resistance Operations Manual, which said: “What we can be certain of is that we are seeing the emergence of a Chinese communist system that is ever accelerating with rapidity.

“We are not a communist country and we should fight with everything we have to prevent it.”

Mr Lewin denies preparing acts of terrorism between 24 July and 25 August last year and says his posts were a “fantasy”. The trial continues.