Self-proclaimed 'satanist' actor guilty of terror charges over right-wing documents
A self-proclaimed 'satanist' actor who claimed he made a pact with a "red-horned devil" has been found guilty of possessing extreme right-wing material.
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Actor Declan George Candiani was stopped by counter-terrorism police at Stansted Airport in August last year as he attempted to go on holiday to Finland with his girlfriend.
After seeing the contents of his phone on 13 August 2024, he was arrested by police and the house he shares with his mother in Streatham, south-west London, was searched.
The iPhone and iPad of the former Brit school student revealed a cache of extreme right wing material, including mass killer’s manifestos and documents advocating for serious violence to achieve white supremacy.
Candiani denied wrongdoing, claiming his main interest was satanism and the occult.
Read more: Satanist caught with extreme right-wing texts claimed 'possession'
On Friday, October 3rd, he was found guilty of two charges of collection of information likely to be useful for terrorism and acquitted of two similar offences.
Judge Nigel Lickley KC granted Candiani continued bail ahead of a sentencing hearing on November 28
During the trial, jurors heard about the “horrific” material Candiani had on his devices.
In a police interview, Candiani claimed he downloaded material after gaining interest in the satanic group Order of Nine Angels (O9A) - a group that has been linked with right-wing extremism.
In court, Candiani described being visited by a “red-horned devil” in his bedroom who told him: “You see me now Declan, you worship me.”
Candiani accepted that a tattoo on his chest bears a neo-Nazi symbol, “88” - code for the phrase “Heil Hitler” - but told jurors he was not interested in terror attacks or hurting anyone.
He said he did not remember looking at a lot of the terrorist material and said it must have been downloaded “inadvertently”.
He also admitted applying to join Active Club, a right-wing extremist group, but said he got “cold feet”.
Psychiatrists assessed Candiani and found he had a “mild personality disorder” but was fit to stand tial. The experts agreed that symptoms described were a manifestation of his own personality, rather than a psychosis.
The jury deliberated for nine hours and 18 minutes to reach its verdicts.