Royal Barnes, Terrorist Who Glorified Lee Rigby Murder, Sentenced Again

Royal Barnes, a 34-year-old convicted terrorist who glorified the murder of British soldier Lee Rigby, has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for breaching his notification requirements. Barnes originally received a sentence of five years and four months in 2014 for inciting terrorism and disseminating terrorist publications, following his disturbing YouTube videos that called for violence against the government. After being released in 2016, he was recalled to prison in 2017 for violating his license and was released again in 2019 under strict monitoring. In October 2023, he was arrested for failing to comply with notification requirements related to his use of a vehicle and mobile phone, and was found involved in fraudulent activities. Judge Angela Rafferty described Barnes' behavior as repetitive and persistent, emphasizing the importance of monitoring terrorism offenders. Commander Dominic Murphy from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command reiterated the commitment to ensure such individuals do not pose a risk to the public.