Podcast host sentenced for racial hatred offences

The host of a right-wing podcast has been sentenced for racial hatred offences.

James Allchurch, 51, was sentenced today (15 May 2023) to 2 years and 6 months for 10 offences of distributing audio material to stir up racial hatred. 

The charges followed an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing-North East into the activities of a website that called itself ‘Radio Aryan’. 

The website was created in November 2015 and since then, produced content on a daily basis. ‘Radio Aryan’ was a website where the podcasts Allchurch hosted were published. 

The content published on the website was racist, anti-Semitic and white supremacist. The CPS proved in court that Allchurch was the proprietor, producer and main host of Radio Aryan and therefore, should be held responsible for the content of the webpages. 

Moreover, the CPS proved to the jury that the podcasts were highly abusive and insulting. In one episode, Allchurch suggested creating “safe spaces” outside cities for “indigenous Britons” and questioned that gas chambers were used by the Nazis during the holocaust. Each episode was also accompanied by often racist and insulting cartoons. 

Nick Price, Head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “The hateful and grotesque views that Allchurch shared on his podcast were a threat to our society, and it is right that the jury found him guilty of his crimes. 

“There is no place in society for these beliefs, and the CPS will continue to prosecute all cases involving hate crime where there is sufficient evidence to do so.”