Jury retires to consider verdicts in National Action trial

A jury has retired to consider verdicts in the trial of an alleged National Action member who plotted to murder his local MP.

Jack Renshaw bought a 19in Gladius knife to kill Rosie Cooper and a police officer he had a grudge against, the Old Bailey has heard.

The 23-year-old revealed his plans at a meeting in the Friar Penketh pub in Warrington on July 1 last year, jurors have heard.

He was allegedly given the go-ahead to kill Ms Cooper on behalf of National Action by leader Christopher Lythgoe, 32, who told him not to "f*** it up".

But whistleblower Robbie Mullen, 25, reported the conversation to campaign group Hope Not Hate and Renshaw was arrested.

Renshaw, of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, has pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism and making threats to kill a police officer.

Lythgoe, from Warrington, denies giving Renshaw permission to murder the West Lancashire MP on behalf of National Action.

It is alleged they both continued to be members of the neo-Nazi group after it was banned in December 2016 for supporting the murder of MP Jo Cox.

The pair - along with Garron Helm, 24, of Seaforth, Merseyside, Matthew Hankinson, 24, of Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, Andrew Clarke, 33, and Michal Trubini, 35, both of Warrington - deny membership.