'Satanist' actor claimed he made 'pact with Devil' after police made shocking discovery

Declan George Candiani, 26, has been jailed for terror offences

A self-proclaimed satanist actor who claimed he made a pact with a 'red-horned devil' has been locked up over extreme right-wing material.

Declan George Candiani was stopped by counter-terrorism police at Stansted Airport as he was going on holiday to Finland with his girlfriend in August 2024.

After seeing what was on his phone, police arrested the 26-year-old and searched the home he shared with his mum.

'Manifestos' of mass killers and documents advocating the use of serious violence to achieve white supremacy were found on his iPhone and iPad.

Candiani denied wrongdoing, claiming he was mainly interested in satanism and the occult.

But he was convicted in October of two counts of collection of information likely to be useful for terrorism.

The defendant was acquitted of two similar offences.

Candiani was jailed for 23 months and handed an extra year on licence on Friday, November 28.

During the trial, jurors heard details of the 'horrific' material Candiani had on his devices.

In Hater’s Handbook, the leader of the satanic neo-Nazi group Maniac Murder Cult claimed to have 'murdered for the white race' and promoted the likes of mass killer Anders Breivik.

A document entitled 21 Silent Techniques of Killing outlined close contact 'assassination' with a spike, knife and nunchucks.

Candiani also started using encrypted messaging platform Telegram under the username Ian Stuart 88, referencing the founder of a neo-Nazi group financially sanctioned by the British government for suspected involvement in terrorist activities.

In his interview with police, Candiani claimed he had downloaded material after becoming interested in satanic group Order of Nine Angles (O9A) - which has been linked with right-wing extremism.

Giving evidence in court, he described being visited by a 'red-horned devil' in his bedroom who told him: "You see me now Declan, you worship me."

He told jurors he agreed to be his 'minion', saying: "I did literally make a pact with the devil."

His mental health suffered and he went down a 'rabbit hole' after his mother was diagnosed with cancer, the court was told.

The defendant said: "At that time I was dealing a lot with my mum and just hated the world and I was very angry and upset and hated everything and everyone."

Candiani accepted he had a tattoo on his chest bearing a neo-Nazi symbol 88 – meaning Heil Hitler.

He also admitted applying to join a right-wing extremist group, Active Club England, but said he later got 'cold feet'.

When members asked why he wanted to apply and what skills he had to offer, he replied: "Because I’m fed up with being inactive and want to do something to help my race and nation. I have experience with weight lifting, combat and nutrition."

But he told jurors he was not interested in terror attacks or hurting anyone.

He did not respond to the group’s request for a phone call, the court heard.

Candiani said he did not remember looking at a lot of the terrorist material, saying it must have been downloaded 'inadvertently'.

He described himself as having no friends, being introverted and struggling with communication.

The defendant went to the Brit School of Performing Arts, had intimate relationships and held customer facing roles, including a duty manager at a theatre in Clapham, south-west London.

A pre-sentence report found 'it therefore seems he is either good at masking his difficulties or there are two sides to him'.

'It is difficult to get a sense of his underlying attitudes', the report said.

It added: "He carefully presented himself as having no racist, Islamophobic, antisemitic or transphobic attitudes, however his offending and the contents of his bedroom would suggest otherwise – [it] is therefore difficult to get a sense of what he really thinks and this would perhaps take time."

Sentencing at the Old Bailey, Judge Nigel Lickley KC said: "Examination of your devices revealed that from at least February 2024 you had accessed material because you adopted an extreme far-right mindset.

"You tattooed your body with Adolf Hitler symbols and began watching programmes about massacres and mass shootings.

"You downloaded a DIY instruction guide for making a sheet metal firearm on April 14, 2024."

Judge Lickley said Candiani wrote him a letter explaining he has 'rejected satanism and far-right ideologies' and is now a pagan who believes in Norse gods.

The judge said: "I have read your letter to me, I note you want to take more steps to make sure you do not go down the path you did in 2024 again – you have said you have benefitted from counselling."

There is no suggestion Candiani distributed the material, discussed it with others, or revisited either documents once downloaded, the judge said.

The judge told Candiani: "Your offending in 2024 is of a type where it is right to be concerned about you and the future.

"You were deeply immersed in truly horrifying belief systems and associated material."

He added: "I note that at a time of significant events in the UK in 2024 you did not engage in commentary with others."

The court heard how he was living with his mum with in Streatham, south-west London, when police searched the property.

Candiani was assessed by psychiatrists who found he had a 'mild personality disorder' and was fit to stand trial despite his claim that he could hear voices and see the devil.

Experts agreed the symptoms he described were not psychosis but a manifestation of his own personality.