Nathan Ratchford continued to access “extremely violent material” online days after he had been freed from a young offenders’ institute
Nathan Ratchford continued to access “extremely violent material” online days after he had been freed from a young offenders’ institute
A teenager continued to view “extremely violent material” only days after he had been freed from a young offenders’ institute following a series of disturbing discoveries within his caravan. Police visited the mobile home where Nathan Ratchford was living on the driveway of his family’s address and found face masks with the names of the victims of the Southport attack and the words “mass stabber” written across them.
The then 17-year-old was also found to have scratched slogans such as “f*** Jewish supremacy” and “Columbine” into the blades of knives and had downloaded instructions on how to fashion a homemade improvised gun. This led to him being convicted of a terrorism offence, although he was ultimately handed a youth rehabilitation order which allowed him to be released from custody after several months on remand.
However, the city’s top judge has now revoked this “unusual” sentence after Ratchford continued to access content relating to beheadings, terrorist attacks and serial killers online. The teen today remarked that his resentencing was “very much unnecessary” as he was put back behind bars.
Liverpool Crown Court previously heard that Merseyside Police visited a caravan, in which Ratchford had been living, on the driveway of the family home on Prince Edwin Street in Everton in October 2025. This led to officers seizing knives with slogans such as “f*** Jewish supremacy” and “Columbine” scratched into the blades, face masks with the names of the victims of the Southport stabbings and the words “mass stabber” written across them, a rifle stock with a swastika etched into the surface and a round of converted 9mm ammunition.
Ratchford’s mobile phone was meanwhile found to contain a document prohibited under the Terrorism Act, namely a series of instructions on how to create a “slam gun”, or an improvised firearm which would be simple to construct using easily sourced component parts. A trawl of this same device revealed a series of notes created during the early part of last year, in which the then youth detailed a plan to travel to the USA in order to rape an actress and “kill anyone who stood in his way” and revealed his desire to commit a terror attack in public places, including schools and mosques, before shooting himself.
Another meanwhile “asked whether all babies go to heaven, and if he shot up a daycare, was this immoral?”. One note also “glorified” Jake Davison, who shot and killed five people, including his own mum, in Plymouth in 2021.
Further investigations uncovered an email sent to the Labour Party in March 2025, in which Ratchford spoke of concerns regarding “wealth inequality” and concluded with a threat to “grab his weapon and come to a government building”. He meanwhile recorded himself handling a gun, thought to be an air weapon which was found within the caravan, while “pretending to shoot others before turning it on himself”.
Although Ratchford was found to have no known links to any terrorist groups, throughout the spring and summer, he discussed purchasing and using a Glock handgun with fellow users of the Telegram messaging app. He even asked one group chat: “Can anyone lend a firearm so I can shoot a politician?”
It was also found that Ratchford had further downloaded a series of indecent images of children, including a video which showed a child aged as young as three in “extreme distress”. He would subsequently admit that he got the “most kick” from the “crazy depraved stuff” and, worryingly, was also found to have secretly filmed children on a beach on one occasion.
Philip Astbury, prosecuting, previously told Ratchford’s earlier sentencing hearing in February, just a week shy of his 18th birthday: “His devices, overall, evidence a fascination for mass murders and extreme violence. They contain many graphic images of death and gore. These files include videos of brutal murders and suicides.”
Ratchford has one prior conviction for burglary and criminal damage, relating to an incident on May 21 2025 when he attended the Subway store on Exchange Street East in Liverpool city centre where he worked armed with a hammer and wearing a t-shirt bearing the slogan “tax the rich”.
Upon entering the premises, he jumped over the counter, emptied the contents of the till, around £200 in total, into his rucksack before using the weapon to smash the cash register and a glass counter, as well as spray painting the customer area with the words: “Tax the wealthy.”
In all, his rampage led to damage in the region of £20,000, apparently coming against a background of alleged “unfair treatment” due to cancelled shifts and a dispute over pay. He later claimed to have given the cash to a homeless person in a “deliberate, planned and symbolic” crime.
This led to him being handed a 10-month youth referral order on October 7 2025. But he then went on to take a picture of himself in which he was seen “threatening revenge against Merseyside Police and the court”, as well as expressing a “desire to commit mass murder”.
Only a day after his appearance before the youth court, Ratchford would tell support agencies that he would “kill himself and become the next Southport one” in another apparent reference to Axel Rudakubana’s evil crimes during the summer of 2024.
This ultimately led to the visit to his caravan by police on October 28, after which he told detectives that he had found the ammunition, a 9mm PAK round converted by the adding of a ball bearing, in a park and had “kept it because it was cool” and due to his interest in militia and firearms.
Ratchford also went on to detail how he could not afford to source a Glock and only intended to “borrow one to show it off, not to hurt and kill”. Subsequently remanded into custody at HMPYOI Wetherby in Yorkshire, the teen was said to have made some progress during his time behind bars as a result of being medicated for his various psychiatric conditions.
But this period also saw him write a journal in which he referenced killing another youth inmate and resulted in an “incident of inappropriate sexualised conduct” towards staff.
Originally charged with offences including conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, the youth ultimately pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition, four counts of making indecent images of children and viewing or accessing a document or record containing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism is a criminal offence.
The Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC deemed that these lesser charges would have resulted in a starting point of three years behind bars for an adult defendant, meaning that, as a youth who had spent around three months in a young offenders’ institute as his case progressed through the courts, Ratchford would only be liable to serve a few more months in the event of a custodial sentence. However, the youth justice service deemed that he “could not be safely or effectively managed within the community at this time” and “presented significant risks to both others and himself”.
Defence counsel Olivia Belle would tell the court that her client was “fascinated” by the sorts of materials found in his possession, rather than being motivated by terrorist ideals, and said: “Social isolation was, in my submission, a catalyst for his usage of the internet. This is a young defendant who, for most of his life, has been blighted by a disrupted school experience.
“It was only in July 2025, after his mother tells me that she was fighting for support for so long, that he was transferred to the CAMHS [child and adolescent mental health services] crisis team. Since he has been remanded, he has demonstrated a willingness to engage, not only in education but also in his clinical and medical treatment. Although there have been some concerns over his conduct in custody, equally, it cannot be overlooked that this is a young boy who recognises that he needs help.
“Ultimately, this is a defendant who is not going to reap the benefits of rehabilitation over a short time. Your lordship may consider that he is still struggling with concerning behaviour. It is clear that, after three-and-a-half months, his engagement has improved. There are prospects of employment in the future. He tells me that his hopes are of, in future, working in the pharmaceutical industry.”
Ratchford was ultimately given a three-year youth rehabilitation order with “intensive support and supervision”, including a requirement to live at approved premises for 36 months, a six-month electronically monitored curfew and a 90-day activity requirement with counter terrorism organisations.
But Megan Cox, appearing for the Probation Service, detailed during a further hearing on Tuesday how he had then continued to engage in “very alarming” conduct following his release, relating to him viewing “disturbing materials” via the internet on an almost daily basis.
This was said to have included content relating to serial killer Ted Bundy, beheadings, firearms and “young children’s feet”. While Ratchford was said to have attended scheduled appointments as part of his youth rehabilitation order, Ms Cox described this as “disguised compliance” and said: “At this moment in time, our submission is that Mr Ratchford cannot understand the risk that he poses. Until he understands the risk he poses, that risk cannot be managed.”
Ratchford was arrested in connection with these new matters on February 25 but ultimately released without charge. Ms Belle added on his behalf during his latest court appearance: “I remind the court that this is not a defendant who is expected to automatically abandon his obsessions overnight, but rather what was expected was to show his willingness to work with professionals to overcome his fascinations and concerning interests.
“Respectfully, my Lord, time and patience is of the essence here. That is not going to be achieved, respectfully, within three weeks. His attendance since he has been inducted is testament to his willingness to engage. The submission is that, following a three-year order, Nathan will be in a much different position.
“He has fully complied with the counter terrorism unit. He has also been supported by third party agencies. Nathan’s mother has instructed that the consultant psychologist overseeing Nathan has directed him to a past young offender who works for Liverpool City Council and has become Nathan’s mentor, which has had a profound impact on him. He has seen that there is light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. He has expressed no desire to commit any criminal offences. Patience is required here.
“His risk is not going to change after three weeks. This has not increased since sentence. If anything, the defendant’s compliance so far should alleviate any concerns. A short period of custody will be of no assistance. This defendant spent five months on remand prior to sentence. A further short term of imprisonment is not going to reduce this defendant’s urges to engage in concerning material. What will reduce that is time.”
But Judge Menary revoked the previous order and instead handed Ratchford a two-year detention and training order. Resentencing, he said: “The court was persuaded that an unusually structured and highly supervised community framework might manage the risk that you posed while enabling therapeutic work to begin.
“This matter comes before the court within 56 days of the original sentence. That means the court retains jurisdiction, under what is commonly referred to as the slip rule, to vary or rescind the sentence. Ordinarily, that jurisdiction is confined to correcting accidental slips or clerical errors. However, it may also be exercised where a sentence has been imposed on a materially incorrect basis.
“When I imposed the youth rehabilitation order in February, I did so in the hope that an exceptionally structured framework in the community might safely contain the risk that you posed. That conclusion was reached in the context of submissions made on your behalf that you could be safely managed in the community, that you were engaging with professionals and that you were demonstrating remorse and a willingness to comply with the framework that has been proposed.
“The information now before the court demonstrates that those assumptions were materially mistaken. Within days of the order being imposed, you resumed accessing extreme violent material, closely aligned with your offending behaviour.
“You accessed websites displaying extreme violent and sexual content, including images of rape, mutilation, deceased bodies and footage of the Christchurch mosque attack. On February 25, you were arrested by the police on suspicion of committing further images offences, but, after investigation, no further action was taken.
“Despite that intervention, you continued to access very disturbing material on an almost daily basis, right up to 5.30pm yesterday. Further matters arose while you were in police custody. When speaking with practitioners, you indicated that, if you were contemplating harming others, you might not disclose that fact and that you could be lying.
“You also discussed the possibility of committing a mass casualty attack and indicated that, if you were to act, you would seek to cause as much of a ‘dent’ as possible. During a supervision appointment on February 26, you described your interest in violent material as a morbid interest, producing an intense feeling otherwise absent from your emotional state.
“The Probation Service now assesses you as presenting a very high and imminent risk of serious harm to members of the public. Although you have complied with certain practical aspects of the order, such as attending supervision and complying with your curfew, the professionals responsible for supervising you have concluded that the powers available within a youth rehabilitation order are insufficient to manage the risks that you present in the community.
“Nathan, when this court sentenced you in February, it gave you an opportunity, an unusual opportunity, to address your behaviour within a highly structured community framework. The events that have followed demonstrate that the risks you present cannot presently be managed in that way.
“The sentence now imposed is necessary, primarily for the protection of the public, but it will also allow comprehensive psychological and risk assessments to be undertaken in custody, so that the causes of your behaviour can properly be understood and addressed. What happens next will depend very largely on how you choose to engage with that process.”
Ratchford was heard to remark from the dock during the judge’s sentencing remarks: “I don’t think there was anything I could do not to get rearrested. I think it was pretty impossible.
“It’s just very much unnecessary, from me. It’s a lot of obviously reading on paper. I can confidently tell you it just does nothing, because it’s unnecessary. I’ve definitely cooperated with the police after getting arrested. The eSafe notifications come from Instagram. I have no control over the algorithm.”
Ratchford will also be subject to notification requirements under the Terrorism Act and Sexual Offences Act 2003 for the next 10 years. He was handed a sexual harm prevention order lasting the same period.
