By Emeka Blast 
MI5 Gun Sting: Tesco Worker Rejects Claims of ‘Kill List’
A former Tesco worker, Alfie Coleman, aged 19 at the time of his arrest, has denied compiling a “kill list” targeting colleagues and customers he labeled as “race traitors” or “undercover police officers,” following a dramatic MI5 sting operation. Coleman, now 21, was detained by counter-terrorism police on September 29, 2023, in a Morrisons car park in Stratford, east London, moments after collecting a Makarov pistol, five magazines, and 200 rounds of ammunition from a Land Rover Discovery, which he believed was supplied by an arms dealer but was part of an undercover MI5 operation.
At the Old Bailey on Thursday, prosecutor Nicholas De La Poer KC revealed that Coleman had compiled a list of individuals who had “upset” him, categorizing them as “undercover police officers” or “race traitors,” with many names accompanied by racial slurs. The list included a colleague and her husband, described as a “white woman married to a person of non-white heritage.” Coleman, from Great Notley, Essex, admitted to attempting to possess a firearm and ammunition and possessing 10 documents useful to terrorists, including a manifesto by Brenton Tarrant, the 2019 New Zealand mosque attacker. However, he denies preparing acts of terrorism, claiming he cannot recall his mindset when compiling the list.
Coleman, who left £3,500 in cash in the vehicle’s footwell during the sting, also admitted to writing a manifesto containing the slogan, “Save the bees, plant more trees, clean the seas, shoot refugees,” but insisted it reflected private “intrusive thoughts” not intended for action. He denied being an “eco-fascist” or having a specific interest in extremist ideologies, despite possessing explosive manuals and searching for images related to public hangings. “There are a lot of reasons why I did it,” Coleman told the court, acknowledging illegal intent but disputing terrorist motives.
The sting followed months of encrypted online chats on platforms like Wire, where Coleman allegedly hailed balaclava-clad gunmen as “coming to England soon” and expressed support for violent acts reminiscent of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, supported by MI5, highlighted a growing trend of young people drawn to online extremism, with 13% of terrorism investigations involving those under 18. The trial continues, with jurors expected to deliberate on Coleman’s intent and the extent of his radicalization.
