Businessman Terence Brown made and sold CDs containing information on how to make bombs and enter countries illegally

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

A businessman who published a "terrorists' handbook" that included information about how to make bombs has been found guilty of collecting and distributing material that could have led to attacks.

Terence Brown made CDs containing thousands of pages of information at his home in Portsmouth. Topics included "how to make a letterbomb" and "how to enter countries illegally".

The prosecutor at Winchester crown court said the publication – called the Anarchist Cookbook – could have been used by terrorists to plan and commit atrocities.

Brown told the jury during a three-week trial that he published the book only to make money, that the information was freely available on the internet and that he did not sympathise with terrorists.

He was convicted of seven counts of collecting information that could have been used to prepare or commit acts of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000, two counts of selling and distributing the information under the Terrorism Act 2006 and of one count under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Brown closed his eyes as the first guilty verdict was delivered by the foreman after four hours of deliberations.

The court heard that Brown had previously served a jail term for counterfeiting software.

Mr Justice Blair will sentence Brown on Friday. He granted Brown bail but warned him: "A custodial sentence of some length is inevitable given the gravity of these offences."