A 26-year-old actor who described himself as a satanist and claimed to have made a pact with the devil has been sentenced to prison for terror offences related to extreme right-wing material.
The arrest and shocking discovery
Declan George Candiani was stopped by counter-terrorism police at Stansted Airport in August 2024 as he prepared to travel to Finland on holiday with his girlfriend. Officers examined his electronic devices, leading to his immediate arrest and a subsequent search of the home he shared with his mother in Streatham, south-west London.
The search uncovered what prosecutors described as 'horrific' material. His iPhone and iPad contained so-called 'manifestos' of mass killers and documents that advocated using serious violence to establish white supremacy. One document, titled '21 Silent Techniques of Killing', detailed close-contact assassination methods using weapons like spikes and knives.
A descent into extremism and occultism
During his trial at the Old Bailey in October, the court heard how Candiani had become immersed in far-right and satanic ideologies. He told jurors he had been visited in his bedroom by a 'red-horned devil' who instructed him, "You see me now Declan, you worship me." Candiani claimed he agreed to become the entity's 'minion', stating, "I did literally make a pact with the devil."
He attributed his descent into this 'rabbit hole' to a period of poor mental health following his mother's cancer diagnosis. "I was dealing a lot with my mum and just hated the world and I was very angry," he explained to the court.
Evidence showed he had downloaded material linked to the satanic neo-Nazi group Order of Nine Angles (O9A). He also used the encrypted messaging app Telegram under the username 'Ian Stuart 88' – a reference to the founder of a government-sanctioned neo-Nazi group – and had a tattoo of the neo-Nazi symbol '88' on his chest.
Application to extremist group and sentencing
The court was told Candiani had applied to join the right-wing extremist group Active Club England. When asked by members about his motivation and skills, he replied, "Because I’m fed up with being inactive and want to do something to help my race and nation. I have experience with weight lifting, combat and nutrition." He later claimed he got 'cold feet' and did not respond to a request for a follow-up phone call.
Despite denying wrongdoing and claiming he had downloaded much of the material inadvertently, Candiani was convicted on two counts of collecting information likely to be useful for terrorism. He was acquitted of two similar offences.
On Friday, 28 November, Judge Nigel Lickley KC sentenced him to 23 months in prison with an additional year on licence. The judge noted that Candiani had, from at least February 2024, accessed material after adopting "an extreme far-right mindset," watched programmes about massacres, and even downloaded a guide for making a sheet metal firearm.
In mitigation, the court heard a letter from Candiani in which he claimed to have rejected satanism and far-right ideologies, stating he was now a pagan who believes in Norse gods. Judge Lickley acknowledged the defendant's steps towards counselling but concluded, "Your offending in 2024 is of a type where it is right to be concerned about you and the future. You were deeply immersed in truly horrifying belief systems."
Psychiatrists assessed Candiani as having a 'mild personality disorder' and found him fit to stand trial, determining that his claims of hearing voices and seeing the devil were a manifestation of his personality, not psychosis.
