White supremacist 'live-streamed himself pretending to be policeman who murdered George Floyd'

A sick white supremacist who live-streamed himself pretending to be the police officer who murdered has been jailed.

Gabriel Budasz, 24, super-imposed himself as cop so he could physically 'play the part' of him kneeling down on the neck of Mr Floyd, a court heard. Budasz, who a judge at Winchester Crown Court said had a "clear interest in white supremacy", broadcast the sick video online.

He also uploaded commentary of the Christchurch mass shootings - describing the murders as "beautiful" - and 3D printed a gun in his bedroom. Budasz, from Poland but living in the UK, was today jailed for 12 years.

He had been unanimously convicted by a jury of disseminating a terrorist publication, four counts of encouraging terrorism and one count of sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety. He had also previously admitted six counts of possessing terrorist information at the Old Bailey in December last year.

Budasz, with black shoulder-length hair, did not react as he was jailed at Winchester Crown Court. Prosecutor Maryam Syed KC told the court Budasz had shared a document titled 'Praise Allah, bomb-making tutorial very interesting'.

She told the court an expert from Porton Down had deemed it to provide "credible information on making a viable explosive". The court heard he also "broadcast episodes" of content where he expressed his far-right views.

"The defendant made clear choices," she said, "to broadcast, disseminate and encourage this material. It's clear he put in a great deal of thought disguising his true identity.

"There were props used, particularly a gun which was printed by the defendant in his bedroom having paid for a 3D printer." Ms Syed KC said it was "not merely a hollow shell of a gun" and he was looking into constructing a "real and working" gun.

"This was a constructed set of broadcasting where the defendant wore a particular outfit which was to replicate his hero Brenton Tarrant," she added.

In 2019, 51 people were killed and 40 injured in two Mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand during Friday prayer. The gunman was 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant, from .

The attacker, described as a 'white supremacist' and member of the 'alt right' live-streamed the shooting on and published an online manifesto. The court heard Budasz - copying Tarrant's outfit which featured sunglasses - shared the 'harrowing and graphic' footage which was originally shared by the shooter.

The court heard the 21 episodes he filmed featured him 'often' wearing a swastika or a black sun with backgrounds featuring Auschwitz concentration camp. Ms Syed KC continued: "This was not just glorification of Brendan Tarrant.

"When he was live broadcasting the massacres, there is a voiceover by the defendant where he can be heard saying 'isn't it beautiful, he is murdering them all'."

The court heard there were also "lots of references" to George Floyd, and involved Budasz "super-imposing" himself to play the part of Derek Chauvin as he knelt down and talked through what happened. Chauvin was convicted of Floyd's death and sparked widespread protests against police brutality towards black people all over the .

Ms Syed KC continued: "This defendant has been motivated by a very wide hostility - it was not just limited to race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. The scale and breadth of the hostility goes just beyond the definition of terrorism. It was extensive and varied."

The court heard Budasz tweeted: "To any current or future state agent investigating me, I mean everything I say and more. I'm a genuinely unhinged threat to you and your society. I'm going to build a bomb."

She said the court could not "shut its eyes to the real world consequences" of encouraging terrorism. In mitigation, Tim Forte said Budasz was a "troubled man" who was "severely" mentally disordered and had shown no remorse.

Of Budasz's intent, he said: "There is no intention for him to provide assistance - there is no intention for him to leave his room, in reality. He wasn't even going out to get food - he was having breakfast, lunch and dinner delivered."

He added that the fact he had just 44 followers were a "thankful drop in the ocean" and the gun he had was merely a "prop". Mr Forte said the tweet was a 'taunt' from a 'keyboard warrior sitting in their bedroom hammering their keyboard and ranting'. Addressing Budasz for his 'very serious' offence, Judge Brian Forster KC said: "You had a clear interest in white supremacy.

"Your right-wing views were primarily anti-semitic in nature but also extended to other groups. You disseminated instructions on how to make a bomb, intending to encourage terrorism. You have no insight as to how your actions could have affected others."

He said this was made worse by Budasz's description of his trial as a 'comedy show' and an 'inability to understand' the jury's verdicts. The judge said although Budasz's online following was small, he would have been 'happier' with many more followers as he published to 'anyone and everyone'.

"I must extend the sentence to protect the public," he continued. As a result, he was handed a 15-year sentence for disseminating the bomb-making guide - made up of 12 years imprisonment and three years under licence upon his release.

Budasz, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, was handed sentences concurrently for the other offences.