Covid conspiracy theorist convicted of terrorism after Telegram calls for vaccine violence

A Covid conspiracy theorist who called for the overthrow of the government and violence against nurses and teachers over the rollout of the vaccination is facing jail after being convicted of terrorism.

Patrick Ruane, 55, weaponised the social media app Telegram to encourage bomb attacks on pharmaceutical companies and even the murder of the CEO of vaccine manufacturer Pfizer.

He also suggested “whacking” Professor Sir Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, over the head with a rounders bat.

Over the course of ten months, Ruane spread his message to 26,000 people across two Telegram chat groups, mentioning Semtex and making repeated references to attacks on politicians and Parliament.

At the Old Bailey on Friday, Ruane, from Westbourne Terrace in Paddington, was found guilty by a jury of encouraging terrorism. He was acquitted of a third charge of possessing material that would be useful to a terrorist.

He is set to be sentenced on November 8.

Ruane was prosecuted over the messages he posted on Telegram chat groups, including one named ‘The Resistance UK’ and another referring to a conspiracy theory known as the ‘great reset’.

The groups were used in 2021 to spread the idea that Covid-19 and the vaccine were fabrications designed for population control.

When news broke that children would be receiving the Covid-19 vaccination, Ruane posted on Telegram: “I say we storm the headquarters and where the bastards live and send them all back to hell where they came from, pitch forks, axes, chainsaw, pick axes, sledge hammers, machetes and torches.

“If loads of us turn up tooled up the police will s**t themselves, its time to start sending those bastards back to hell…”

In another post, he wrote: “It’s time to start hurting these f***ers now unbridled violence is the only thing they understand need to find where the jabbers administering the poison live and wipe them out and the f***ing teachers that are allow it”.

Bethan David, Head of the Counter Terrorism Division, at the Crown Prosecution Service, called Ruane “a dangerous man who was prolific in encouraging violence because of his firmly held beliefs in a conspiracy theory.

“During a time when the nation was suffering a devastating pandemic and many lost loved ones, Patrick Ruane was using Telegram to spread false and damaging information and encourage violence and terrorism”, she said.

“He posed a credible threat to the peace and safety of the public, and it is only right that he has been found guilty today. The CPS will always seek to prosecute such appalling criminal behaviour whether carried out in person or online to keep the public safe.”

The court heard Ruane suggested members of the Telegram group should “burn all the big pharmas offices manufacturing plants and infrastructure to the f***ing ground”.

He singled out the CEO of vaccine manufacturer Pfizer, saying someone should “kill that c***”, as well as calling for people to “bomb the fucking labs”.

“He was vehemently against the measures brought in by the then government in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the lockdown and vaccination rollout. It was this ideological cause that drove the messages”, said prosecutor Julia Faure Walker.

“It is not, of course, illegal to believe in any particular ideology. Whatever your personal viewpoint, there is nothing illegal in merely holding views or campaigning to bring about change.

“What brings Mr Ruane here, facing terrorism charges, is that rather than restricting himself to advocating change through argument or protest for example, he repeatedly referred to serious violence.”

Responding to a post about “big pharma” and “crimes against humanity”, Ruane wrote: “I’m all for hunting them down and f***ing executing them where they stand as too many people have f***ing died and its not going to stop until we start killing them back.”

Replying to a post showing a nurse administering the vaccine to a child, he wrote: “Im not going to say anything but if you drive and you see the jabbers on a zebra crossing knock them up in the air with your car”.

In police interview, Ruane said he had lost his business in one of the Covid lockdowns, and he had been drinking a bottle of vodka a day.

“It’s stupid of me sometimes”, he told officers, but refused to answer detailed questions.

Ruane’s conviction comes shortly after Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested in France over allegations he has failed to take steps to tackle criminality on the platform.

Ruane has been freed on bail until his sentencing hearing.