Charlie Sargent

Paul David Sargent, known as Charlie Sargent, is the former leader and founder of Combat 18, a British neo-Nazi group. He was initially a supporter of the British National Party but split from them in 1996.^[1] Sargent had convictions for drug running ^[2] and was convicted in 1998 of the murder of another member of Combat 18, and sentenced to life imprisonment.^[3]

Murder of Christopher Castle : 10 February 1997

Sargent had split with his former colleagues in C18 over allegations that he was an informer for British security services. The rival faction, led by Wilf "The Beast" Browning wanted Sargent to return to them the C18 membership list, for which they were to return his plastering tools and £1,000. However such was the animosity and fear between them that a mutually acceptable go-between, 28 year-old C18 member, "Catford Chris" Castle, was driven to Sargent's mobile home in Harlow, Essex, by Browning, who waited in the car, whilst Castle went to visit Sargent. He was met at the door by Charlie Sargent and his political associate, Martin Cross. Cross plunged a nine-inch (22cm) blade into Castle's back. Browning took Castle to hospital in a taxi, where he died of his injury. Despite his attempting to implicate Browning, Sargent was convicted of murder at Chelmsford Crown Court the following year. He and Cross were sentenced to life imprisonment.^[4]

Popular Culture

• Charlie Sargent is the subject of a tribute by the group, "White tide" entitled "It Ain't Over Till the Fatman Swings".^[5]
• "Billy Bright" in the film "The Football Factory" has a physical resemblance to Charlie Sargent, played by Frank Harper and directed by Nick Love.

See also

• British National Party
• British National Front
• White supremacy
• Clerkenwell crime syndicate
• White tide

External links

• "Charlie Sargent believed in violence, not democracy" (BBC's BNP: Under the Skin)
• Article on Sargent

References