British Army soldier jailed for making explosives and a homemade cannon

Mark Broadhurst, a 28-year-old British Army chef, has been sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to firearms and explosives offences at Sheffield Crown Court. Broadhurst was arrested in September 2024 at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire.

Investigations by counter-terrorism police revealed that Broadhurst used online forums to promote extreme right-wing ideology, expressing hatred toward Black, Asian, Muslim, and Jewish people. He discussed the formation of a militia and expressed a desire to be remembered for terrorism and killing police officers.

A search of his military quarters and his home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, uncovered gunpowder, crossbows, large knives, a baseball bat, and a crude homemade cannon described as being similar to a 14th-century weapon. While the defense argued the weapon was not used to threaten anyone, the judge concluded the explosives and cannon were created to gain credibility among far-right extremists and encourage violent ideology.