Go directly to jail: Do not pass Go

Nick Lowles - 27 11 14

Former C18 leader Charlie Sargent is back behind bars after being involved in a fight outside an Essex pub in the company of many of his old C18 friends.

Sargent was released from prison last year after being convicted for the murder of Chris Castle in 1997.

Castle, a close friend of Sargent’s rival Will Browning, was lured to a mobile home in Essex where he was attacked and stabbed by Sargent’s friend Martin Cross. The court had heard that Sargent was the prime motivator behind the murder and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The murder followed an often violent internal struggle for control of the nazi group. Sargent was subsequently exposed by ITV’s World in Action of being a police informer.

He was released on licence last year on the proviso that he did not associate with any of his old C18 friends and he did not get involved in any violence.

Sargent broke this agreement from almost the moment he got out of prison and began meeting his former associates. He would meet his friends and plot his revenge against his old C18 enemies from the dark recesses of pubs in the hope of not being seen. Unfortunately for Sargent, HOPE not hate was monitoring his activities from the moment of his release.

Among those he associated with were:

* Tim Ryan, a former C18 and British Movement activist who himself is on licence after being convicted of possession of a gun, that was discovered buried in his mother’s garden.

* Eddie Stampton, probably the most hated man on the British far right, and currently active with the southern faction of the National Front and co-ordinator of the British Golden Dawn.

* Rob Hitlon, a close associate from Sargent’s C18 days and a long-time activist in the UDA.

* Frank Portinari, leader of the UDA on the British mainland, and convicted gunrunner.

* Andy Frain, a leading Chelsea hooligan and C18 supporter, who Sargent had little time for until they were in the same prison.

But Sargent was not just content to enjoy a social drink with his old friends. Free from prison, he actively tried to stir up trouble and re-open old feuds with Browning and others he blamed for his downfall.

Another of Sargent’s old C18 friends, Warren Glass, attempted to get Sargent an invite to the wedding party being held for the lead singer of Section 88, but was unceremoniously told by the British Movement that the former C18 leader was not welcome.

Sargent also made contact with Mark Atkinson, who had sided with Browning during the original split but who has since gone his own way with the Racial Volunteer Force. Sargent was hoping that Atkinson would publicly turn on Browning and do re-open old wars.

Sargent was also working with Eddie Stampton to produce their version of the C18 story. However, Sargent was always careful to remain in the shadows and get others to do his bidding. So you can imagine his anger when Stampton posted a picture of the two of them together in a pub garden in Royton, Essex, earlier this year. Sargent demanded it was taken down but not before HOPE not hate researchers had copied the picture (thanks Eddie).

Finally, and most worryingly, Sargent and friends were actively looking for the home address of Darren Wells, Will Browning’s former sidekick, who went on to work for me inside C18. At one point the Sargent faction was convinced they had traced Wells to an address in Essex but this proved to be a false lead.

Sargent’s luck finally ran out over the weekend of 15/16 November, whilst out drinking with Andy Frain, Eddie Stampton, Rob Grey and his brother Steve, in a pub in a small village in Essex. As the beer flowed so the group became rowdy and the nazi salutes began. Sargent went outside and returned with a bloody nose, to which the others piled out to confront his assailants.

The police were called and though the men attacked decided not to press charges, Sargent’s involvement was logged. He had broken his licence, was arrested and tonight is back in prison. And, with the evidence we are passing over to the Probation Service, hopefully for a long time.

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