UK: C18 leaders get "life" for murder
01 January 1998
The long-running feud between the rival factions of Combat 18 (C18) is likely to escalate following the jailing of Charlie Sargent and Martin Cross at Chelmsford Crown Court in January. The fascist organisers were jailed for life after a jury found them guilty of stabbing to death Blood and Honour supporter, Christopher Castle, who was acting as an intermediary between the rival groups. The court heard evidence from a number of key C18 members as the supporters of the factions issued threats and accused one another of "grassing" to the police (see Statewatch, vol 7 no 2).
The feud between Sargent and another C18 leader, who cannot be named for legal reasons, began in the autumn of 1996 and centred around money and control of the lucrative CD music business. Disagreements led to Sargent making allegations of the theft of up to £100,000 against his former partner. As the accusations became more acrimonious they led to a split in the movement and the formation of the Sargent-led National Socialist Movement (NSM). Sargent's rival, along with other key players, maintained control of the C18 faction.
In February 1997 Castle agreed to act as an intermediary between the warring factions. It was arranged that he would deliver Sargent's work tools to the Harlow home of his girlfriend and in exchange he would receive the C18 mailing-list and £1,000 from Sargent. However, Sargent had other ideas and with his close friend, Blood and Honour organiser, Martin Cross, plotted to ambush Castle.
Castle was accompanied by the C18 leader, who he dropped off outside the rendezvous, before meeting Sargent. A short time afterwards, the court was told, Castle staggered out of the house shouting for help. He had been stabbed in the back by Cross, at the instigation of Sargent, in what was described as "a violent and cowardly attack". The C18 leader hailed a taxi and took Castle to a hospital where he later died.
Since Castle's death the threats have escalated and there were a number of physical attacks in the run-up to the court case. The leaders of the opposing factions, Eddie Stanton and Steve Sargent (Charlie's younger brother) on the NSM side and the C18 leader and Mark Atkinson (currently in prison on separate charges) on the other, have all threatened violence. The C18 letter-bomb campaign, carried-out under the orders of the C18 faction by Thomas Nakaba from Denmark, (see Statewatch January-February 1997) was only a hint at what can be expected.