Ontario man sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty to terrorism charges

The Ontario Courthouse at 361 University Avenue in Toronto is photographed on Monday, May 2, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

An Ontario man who pleaded guilty to three terrorism charges was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison.

Matthew Althorpe admitted to creating and publishing white supremacist propaganda as an active member of the terror group Atomwaffen Division, and an agreed statement of facts in the case said manifestos he published on Telegram inspired multiple terrorist attacks.

Superior Court Justice Jane Kelly said in her ruling that the propaganda Althorpe created can never be erased and will continue to inspire more violence.

She said there is evidence Althorpe inspired at least six attacks that left several people killed and wounded through his online manifestos. They promoted hatred of Jewish, Muslim and Black people, among other groups, and advocated for mass casualty attacks and the sabotage of critical infrastructure.

Althorpe’s publications were cited by a teenager who stabbed five people at a mosque in Turkey in 2024 and an attacker who killed two people in a shooting outside a Slovakian gay bar in 2022.

At a January sentencing hearing, Althorpe stated that he regretted his past actions and renounced his extremist beliefs. His defence lawyer requested a sentence of 12 to 14 years.

But Kelly said in her decision that there is nonetheless concern that Althorpe may continue to harbour white supremacist ideology. She noted there is a risk of reoffending.

“The offenses and the role that Mr. Althorpe played in them are significant and serious. This was not an isolated act of violence and not a series of ill-conceived social media posts,” the judge said.

“His role shows a decade-long commitment to white supremacist, militant accelerationist ideology.”

The judge said Althorpe began participating in white supremacist chat rooms around 2015, and after he stepped away from the now-disbanded Atomwaffen Division, he became a leader of a neo-Nazi fight club.

Althorpe’s defence lawyer had previously characterized his client as a young man who went “way off course and made terrible criminal mistakes” as a result of experiencing childhood sexual abuse and mental health disorders that went untreated.

Kelly said this was no excuse for his actions.

“While Mr. Althorpe’s community suggests that boredom during COVID or getting in with the wrong crowd might have inspired his involvement in terrorist activities, there really is no explanation for it. There is nothing in his upbringing to suggest that he was inspired by those around him to engage in terrorist groups,” she said.

The justice said the 20-year sentence is intended to send a strong message that terrorism is reprehensible and those who engage in it must pay a heavy price.

“Had Mr. Althorpe not pleaded guilty but was found guilty after trial, I have no doubt that he would be facing life in prison,” she said.

Five Jewish organizations that provided community impact statements in Althorpe’s case said his 20-year sentence sends a powerful message against hate.

“The threat posed by Mr. Althorpe was not only to the Jewish community. His hatred and violent extremism targeted all those who did not align with his grotesque ideology,” they said.

The Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism, B’nai Brith Canada, the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center called on governments to do more to address “sources of hate and radicalization” in Canada and prioritize dismantling terror networks.

Kelly noted the Criminal Code sets out a parole ineligibility period of half of the sentence, or 10 years, for people found guilty of terrorism charges but said Althorpe may apply for parole before then.

“This does not mean that Mr. Althorpe will be released on parole before he serves one half of his sentence. It simply means that he can apply for parole before he does,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2026.

Kathryn Mannie, The Canadian Press