Revealed: How 'quiet' boy from Stalybridge became hate-filled Islamic extremist
Relatives of Matthew Newton have told how he was transformed from a quiet, easy-going child growing up in Stalybridge into a hate-filled religious extremist who tried to recruit young men to fight a 'holy war' in Afghanistan.
Relatives of Matthew Newton have told how he was transformed from a quiet, easy-going child growing up in Stalybridge into a hate-filled religious extremist.
Newton, 29, is starting a six-year prison sentence for his part in a gang which used a stall in Longsight market in a bid to recruit young men to fight and kill British servicemen in Afghanistan.
Yet family pictures shown to the MEN show him as a happy-go-lucky toddler and then later as a smiling, relaxed young man posing alongside celebrities ranging from Shameless star Tina Malone to Bez from the Happy Mondays.
Other photos show Newton, 29, with boxer Michael Jennings and another with a Red Devil mascot.
Growing up in Stalybridge and the son of a born-again Christian mum, his family described him as a 'lovely lad'.
Following school he started a t-shirt business called Masti with Bez's son. While running Masti he met and was photographed with a number of Manchester celebrities.
Then, some five years ago, after getting a new job working for an estate agent in Manchester, he moved into a flat on Stockport Road, Levenshulme. It was then he became interested in Islam and later converted, taking the Islamic name Hamza.
It was shortly after this that he met charismatic former Taliban fighter Munir Farooqi and developed what was described in court as a 'deep, misplaced loyalty' to him and his extremist views.
Speaking to the M.E.N, Newton's uncle Nigel Robinson said his nephew was searching for a sense of belonging he never had as a child.
He said: "He was always a lovely lad, but quite quiet.It wasn't easy for him growing up. But he was never one to hang around in gangs, at least I don't recall that."
He said Islam was just a curiosity for his nephew at first, adding: "I don't know what turned him radical. From around 2008 he started becoming more and more involved in religion. He starting leaving religious messages on Facebook all the time and sending me emails with links to religious pages."
The pair fell out when it emerged Newton's half-brother wanted to join a military band.
Mr Robinson said: "He rang me up and said 'talk some sense into him – he'll end up in Afghanistan shooting innocent people'. He just went really anti the armed forces. I tried talking him round but it was useless. We fell out because I was in a military band and a trained medic for many years."
He added: "Just before he got in trouble he rang me up and said he had given all his belongings away. I asked him why and he said 'I don't need my stuff, all I need is religion'. It seemed really strange."
Nigel says he has now disowned Matthew and wants nothing more to do with him.
He said: "I'm properly gutted about it. I'm devastated this has happened. But to be honest if that's what he's been involved in then I'm glad he's been locked up."
Although he was described by Mr Justice Richard Henriques, as a 'significant' member of Farooqi's team, the judge also noted that Newton told one of the undercover cops he didn't have to follow through with a plan to go to Afghanistan.
During the terror trial, Newton was unusually given bail on strict conditions and continued to work on a perfume stall at Longsight market. In breaks in court proceedings, he always appeared friendly and jovial.
Det Chief Supt Tony Porter said: "The worst thing that happened to Matthew Newton was to come across Munir Farooqi. He was susceptible to Farooqi's ideology and that was his grave misfortune. The art of radicalisation is to go for vulnerable people."
Stalybridge and Dukinfield
Chief Supt Tony Porter
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