Man caught in UK with Nazi, terrorism and child abuse images faces new charges in Ireland

London native Mark Nolan, 37, has had his extradition to Britain postponed because of new charges brought against him in Ireland

Accused has been charged with five new offences in this jurisdiction, four of them for possession of firearms. Picture: Collins Courts

A British man who was allegedly caught in possession of Nazi, terrorism and child abuse materials has had his extradition postponed because of new charges brought against him in Ireland.

London native Mark Nolan, 37, appeared on Thursday by video-link from Midlands Prison at the High Court to hear his surrender was being postponed.

Mr Nolan appeared at an extradition sitting of the High Court on Thursday of last week before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs, where he consented to his surrender to answer the alleged offences as well as on a further charge of assault causing harm in London in April 2019.

On Thursday, Tony McGillicuddy BL, for the State, told Ms Justice Biggs that since agreeing to his surrender last week, Mr Nolan had been charged on Tuesday of this week with similar offences in Ireland.

Mr McGillicuddy told the court that Mr Nolan had been charged with five new offences in this jurisdiction, relating to four counts of possessing firearms in suspicious circumstances and a single charge of possessing material contrary to Section 7 of the Offences Against The State Act.

Mr McGillicuddy said Mr Nolan will be served with a Book of Evidence on Monday at the District Court in the Courts of Criminal Justice (CCJ) and asked the court to consider a postponement in light of the new charges.

Elva Duffy BL, for the respondent, said there was no objection to the application.

Ms Justice Biggs said a postponement of Nolan's surrender was "absolutely appropriate" and remanded Nolan in custody until February 21.

Garda evidence

Last week, Detective Garda Eoin Kane of the Garda Extradition Unit gave evidence that he arrested Mr Nolan on foot of the assault warrant in the holding cells in the CCJ building.

Six prison officers – four of whom were wearing stab-proof vests – accompanied Mr Nolan into the court for last week's sitting, during which he was not allowed to remove his handcuffs.

At that hearing, Det Gda Kane told Mr McGillicuddy that he executed the assault warrant that had been endorsed by the High Court on November 29 last, which was issued by London Crown Court on November 12.

The detective said that although the man in the warrant had also gone by the aliases of 'Mark Peppard' and 'Mark Wolf', he was satisfied that this accused was the man in the courtroom.

When Det Gda Kane showed the new warrant to Mr Nolan, the detective said Mr Nolan replied: "I am aware of these".

Mr McGillicuddy said Mr Nolan's first warrant contained accusations of eight terrorism offences, which carried a maximum jail sentence of 15 years in the UK.

Counsel said two charges of making child pornography were also on the first warrant and that they carried a maximum jail term of 10 years. Two further charges of possession of child pornography each carried a maximum sentence of three years, said Mr McGillicuddy.

Mr McGillicuddy said the terrorism allegation related to the "possession of eight documents likely to be useful to a person in committing or preparing an act of terrorism" and corresponded to Section 7 of Ireland's Offence Against the State Act.

The four child pornography allegations corresponded with Ireland's Child Trafficking and Pornography Act of 1998, he said.

Mr McGillicuddy said the assault allegation was one of "actual bodily harm" which would amount to a Section 3 assault causing harm in the Irish legal system, which carried a maximum term of five years in the UK.

In his evidence, Mr Nolan told Ms Duffy that he was consenting to his surrender on both warrants.

Extradition warrant

As the United Kingdom has left the European Union, the extradition warrant sent to Ireland from the UK now comes under the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement.

According to the warrant, two searches were carried out at Mr Nolan's home at Britannia Street, in the Borough of Camden, London, on October 10, 2018, and February 25, 2020, and a laptop was seized.

The warrant states the laptop was examined and 250,000 indecent images of children were discovered, as well as internet manuals and documents for making improvised weapons and explosives.

The arrest warrant also states that Nazi-related materials were found during a search of Mr Nolan's address.

The warrant was issued by Westminster Magistrates Court on June 16, 2021, the same day Mr Nolan was arrested by gardaí in Dublin.

He had been listed for trial but did not turn up and took a bench warrant on April 21, 2021.