A teenager who plotted to carry out a terrorist attack at the Isle of Wight Festival and later planned to stab teachers at a local school can now be named as Nathan Ruth from East Cowes.
Ruth was just 15 years old when he was arrested by Counter Terrorism Policing South East in July 2022 following a tip-off from the FBI, which had identified alarming communications on Discord, Reddit and Instagram. He was later charged with multiple terrorism offences and remanded into youth detention.
Nathan Alexander Ruth researched ways to attack attendees at the 2022 Isle of Wight Festival, including using a fast-moving vehicle. When that was not possible, he turned his attention to a planned knife attack at a local special school, intending to target teachers. He was caught with a knife and a martyrdom letter in his rucksack on the day he intended to carry out the stabbing – 11th July 2022.
In April last year, Ruth was sentenced to 7 years behind bars and a 10-year terrorist notification requirement after being found guilty of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, 3 counts of dissemination of terrorist publications, and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
He was also convicted of 8 counts of possession of an offensive weapon in prison, 4 counts of common assault, and 6 counts of common assault of an emergency worker.
Nathan Ruth’s identity – and the fuller story – have remained secret due to reporting restrictions imposed by the courts. But now, on his 18th birthday, those restrictions have been lifted allowing Island Echo to reveal further details.
At the time of his arrest, Counter Terrorism cops said that Ruth came from ‘Cowes’, but the truth can now be told that he actually resided at Osborne Heights in East Cowes. His family moved to the Isle of Wight from Totton, Southampton. They no longer live at Osborne Heights.
During court proceedings leading up to Ruth’s conviction, it was heard how the teen had been diagnosed with autism, but remained capable of making rational choices. He converted to Islam in 2021 and adopted extremist views, including homophobic ideology and support for Daesh propaganda. He shared Islamic State execution videos and expressed support for the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shootings in France.
He had been warned about his extremist views in the past, but continued to pursue them. His school teachers had considered referring him to the Government’s Prevent programme, but this never happened.
The death of Nathan Ruth’s father when he was just 10 years old had a ‘shattering’ impact on him, the courts heard, with Rossano Scamardella KC stating at sentencing that it was something Ruth had been ‘unable to come to terms with’.
It can now be reported that Nathan’s father took his own life at the family home in East Cowes in July 2017. The property was cordoned off as detectives investigated the sudden death.
Ruth remains incarcerated for his crimes.
It is claimed that, whilst detained at His Majesty’s Pleasure, Ruth has written questionable instructions on pieces of paper, placing them under the cell doors of fellow inmates. He is also said to shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ at random from within his cell.
Clearly his rehabilitation is going well then! Sounds like he’s going to continue his plans when he is released so this will not be the last we hear of this sad pathetic sick creature. [removed]
He should never be allowed to walk free again, he is a dangerous individual!!
7 years, so he will serve 3 then thanks to this governments lack of keeping people inside for serious offences, once out will disappear under the radar and plan yet another attack.
The government cannot currently hold all of the people it might wish oo for as long as it may wish to because there simply are not the prion places thatnks to the 14 years of underinvestment during the conservatives reign. You can’t build prisons overnight.
Religion is poison.
Why do we keep accepting immigrants who hold to this vile Muslim religion ?
– The beliefs progulmated act to motivate the murder of ‘unbelievers’, not to even mention their appalling treatment of women and girls.
– Surely this country needs to act decisively and be willing to deport those from this alien culture.
Have you had a closer look at historic Catholicism?
And where would you deport this kid to then cos he’s English?
Not talking about historic events, they’re pretty irrelevant.
I doubt he’s English – we don’t do that kind of evil to one another, for we are a Christian nation, with Christian values.
Why do you doubt his citizenship?
for the record, he IS English. So, what do you propose we do with him then?
Christianity has no more ‘value’ than any other religion. Every single one has an ethos of not killing, yet every one has formulated exceptions to their rules. Man made rules. The events are as relevant today as they were a thousand years ago, and we as a species have learned nothing the the time since. And the kid IS English.
You’re not wrong. It often plays a massive part in many psychiatric delusions with those who are predisposed to mental illnesses.
How right you are. How many acts of terrorism have been proved to be linked to it. Nearly every one in some way or another, but strangely not very to ours
Except the KKK, Anders Breivik, both Catholics and Protestants in Ireland…..all dogma is capable and as savage as any other.
So his father was mentally ill enough to commit suicide and his son has religious ideology by the age of 14 and no-one thinks to contain him under the mental health act indefinitely??
Nice bit of deterant work when the warped little shit got a bedroom that looks better than mine