A Story of Faith, Family, and Resilience
Ashley Podsiad-Sharp is, first and foremost, a devout Christian. He is also an incredible husband and a loving and dedicated father to his two daughters. Additionally, he is a British nationalist and the founder of the White Stag Athletic Club. Ash is a man for whom God, family, truth, and peace mean everything. The integration of Christian values has provided a moral framework that emphasizes compassion, humility, and service to others.
His story of arrest and imprisonment began in 2021. Not longer after Ash had founded the White Stag Athletic Club.
WSAC
The White Stag Athletic Club (WSAC) started as a group of nationalist men disillusioned with traditional politics and political discourse. Frustrated with the pessimism and lack of solutions in political circles, they sought a new philosophy that emphasized physical prowess and brotherhood over intellectual or political engagement. The group’s mantra, “Screw politics. Hail push-ups,” encapsulates their belief that physical fitness and outdoor activities are more important than just political knowledge or debate.
WSAC emphasizes physical strength, endurance, and camaraderie. The group values the ability to undertake demanding physical tasks, such as hiking, wild camping, boxing and gym work. They believed that true nationalism should be expressed through physical activity and self-improvement rather than idle political discussions.
Initially, WSAC operated in complete secrecy for 18 months to avoid attention from communists and British Secret Police, who they feared might attempt to undermine or disrupt their activities. During this period, the group grew through rigorous physical challenges and adventures, which filtered out those unable to meet their high standards. Their activities included four challenging, weighted, long-distance hikes per year, boxing training/sparing gym work and other physically demanding tasks that fostered genuine brotherhood and personal improvement.
A pivotal moment for WSAC was realizing that their activities had a positive impact on members’ mental health. One member revealed that joining WSAC had pulled him out of a dark place, potentially preventing a tragic outcome. This revelation highlighted that WSAC’s focused on physical and mental resilience had the unintended benefit of deradicalizing nationalist youth and providing a positive outlet for their energies.
This revelation highlighted that WSAC’s focus on physical and mental resilience (and brotherhood) had the benefit of deradicalizing nationalist youth and providing a positive outlet for their energies.
Recognizing the potential dangers of remaining anonymous, WSAC decided to go public. They believed that transparency would mitigate the risk of being targeted by authorities who might view their secrecy with suspicion. By becoming more visible and active on social media, they aimed to reshape the negative reputation of nationalism by promoting a positive, health-oriented, and community-focused image. Despite facing infiltration attempts and scrutiny from organizations like Hope Not Hate, WSAC received some positive recognition and saw increased interest and membership.
WSAC’s philosophy was that teaching young men practical skills like boxing, hiking, map reading, and archery helps them become better individuals. They argued that understanding and respecting violence through controlled environments like boxing can help men control their impulses and develop respect for physical confrontation. They believed these activities contribute to making men more disciplined, self-reliant, and resilient.
In summary, the White Stag Athletic Club was a group that blends nationalism with a focus on physical fitness, brotherhood, and personal development. They prioritized action and physical challenges over political debate, aiming to foster a positive, supportive community for nationalist youth while mitigating the risk of radicalization and negative behaviours.
Arrest and Legal Battles
When WSAC’s Telegram channel gained popularity in May 2022, Ash was arrested for sharing a link to Mr. Bond’s rap music on the channel. The grounds for his arrest seemed unbelievable. Counter-Terrorism police accused him of distributing material that could inspire terrorism, claiming that Mr. Bond’s music could incite terrorist acts. Ash was later acquitted of these charges. Lots of ‘coulds’ but no actual facts.
Ten officers from police and Counter-Terrorism raided his home, seizing all information carriers, including phones, laptops, discs, books, and other legal items. They also took a 2-meter bow with arrows for archery practice, a small axe for wood cutting, a camping knife, and two small folding knives used by Ash’s wife to peel fruit for their daughter. The prosecution classified these items as weapons and used them against Ash in court.
Ash was released on the condition that he report to the police station twice a week and was suspended from work.
Several months later, Counter-Terrorism police summoned Ash’s wife, who was six months pregnant, for an intense interrogation. Although she was not charged with anything, the emotional toll was significant.
Two months later, Ash was arrested again for violating bail conditions. He failed to sign in on time due to illness, which he had explained to the police weeks before. Additionally, Ash had registered WSAC as a company, and the police used this as grounds for arrest, classing it as activism, which was against his bail conditions. The next day he was release home to await trial. Ash was asked to provide access passwords to an encrypted folder on his computer. Convinced that this folder contained nothing illegal, Ash provided the information to the police. Unfortunately, it turned out that this folder contained a book ‘White Resistance Manual’ (WRM), and Ash was charged again with possessing a file that could be useful to terrorists. IMPORTANT NOTE! Do Not look for this ‘book’ online, especially in the UK as it carries a guaranteed lengthy prison sentence!
It’s worth emphasizing that if Ash had known about the book, he wouldn’t have given the password. Not providing this information carries a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison, while this charge ranges from 18 months to 15 years.
The trial, which began in May 2023, lasted 2.5 weeks. The prosecution labelled Ash as a racist, Neo-Nazi, homophobe, and anti-Semitic individual who supposedly lived by a book (WRM) which he had never read. These descriptions were unfounded and deeply insulting. The prosecution lacked clear evidence to support their accusations, failing to prove that Ash was aggressive, violent, or had ever incited violence or hatred. During the trial, Ash demonstrated that these offensive labels did not apply to him including the testimony of a family friend, an Indian priest who travelled from Italy to vouch for Ash’s good character— was also ignored by the judge. Ash explained that his nationalism is based on a peaceful ideology, which the judge again ignored.
The discrepancy lies in comparing the WRM guidelines with Ash’s actions. Published in 2006, the WRM anticipated an all-out race war by 2016, making Ash’s actions outdated by at least eight years. Unlike timeless guidance found in the Bible, the WRM’s relevance had expired. The WRM suggests two paths for white nationalist activists: being publicly peaceful while secretly violent, or acting as a lone wolf assassin. Ash did not align with either path. The WSAC publicly recognized the benefits of the group, contradicting the secretive assassin approach, and there was no increase in nationalist attacks before or after Ash’s arrest, indicating a lack of intent to promote terrorism.
Ash was not a public advocate of “nice guy” nationalism either. Although he planned to go public to protect against doxing and attacks, he had not done so yet due to his pending departure from the Prison Service. His writings in Republic Standard disavowed violence and racial bigotry, differentiating between nationalism and tribalism. Ash consistently, publicly and privately, opposed violence for political purposes, as evidenced by thousands of messages devoid of any advocacy for violence. Thus, it is clear that he did not follow the WRM’s directives.
The prosecution could not prove that the document in question had been opened, only that the folder containing it had been accessed for 12 seconds. Despite this, the judge supported the prosecution’s case, leading to the jury’s guilty verdict for possessing a document that could be useful to terrorists. Consequently, Ash received the TACT Offender label and was treated similarly to actual terrorists.
Imprisonment, Sentencing, and a New, Dark Chapter
Ash was imprisoned awaiting sentencing. According to Ash’s solicitor, ‘Ash should receive a maximum of 4 years in prison’. Just when Ash’s family thought nothing worse could happen to them, 3 months after Ash’s imprisonment, he received his sentence. The draconian sentence of 8 years plus 5 years on licence, all for possessing a book he didn’t know existed. This is the highest sentence in England for this type of offence. (Please see Ash’s sentencing remarks document [here])
This marked the beginning of another tragic chapter in Ash’s family life. Ash was imprisoned 230 miles from home. Travelling to see their dad became a challenge for his young children. The prison in which Ash was imprisoned could not provide him with enough protection as a former prison officer. For months, his family feared for his life. However, conditions improved slightly. Additionally, HMP Swaleside began imposing restrictions on Ash almost from the beginning. The first restriction was cutting him off from contacts with friends, citing “right-wing rhetoric hate speech.” When Ash asked for evidence and examples, he was denied this right. Another restriction limited the number of phone calls to 6 times 10 minutes each, imposed after Ash jokingly mentioned an escape (Ash’s mistake, he should have known they have no sense of humour). When this restriction expired after 3 months and another restriction was extended, Ash was subjected to the most hurtful restriction so far. Ash was classified as PPRC (Person Posing Risk to Children), and any contact with persons under 18 was prohibited. This meant no phone or video calls, no visits, and no ability to send any letters. The first weeks were traumatic, especially for Ash and his 3.5-year-old daughter, who couldn’t understand why dad couldn’t tell her a bedtime story and why she couldn’t visit him. Calling Ash PPRC was the biggest and most damaging lie the system ever told about him.
Fighting Back
Ash fought to overturn the decision that prevented him from seeing his daughters. He refused to sign the consent forms, as agreeing to them would mean accepting the decision and involving social services and the police with his family. Ash demanded to see the evidence used against him so he could appeal. For three consecutive months, prison authorities and staff denied him this right. Ash filed three complaints and sought help from an external body to investigate his case. Ash’s wife sent many letters to the Governor and the Senior Probation Officer asking for the evidence and Ash’s right to appeal. A breakthrough came when an internal prison document discovered (Public Protection Manual) stating that Ash had the right to see the evidence. The Governor then ordered the evidence to be revealed.
From the beginning, Ash consistently maintained that he needed to see the evidence supporting the claims against him. He expressed his willingness to sign the consent forms if the evidence proved the allegations. The accusation stemmed from an alleged phone call months ago, where it was claimed that Ash used ideological language that might politically groomed his (then) 3-year-old daughter. However, the specifics of the conversation and the recipient of the call were withheld, which violated legal procedures.
It is important to mention that in August 2023, a Public Protection Review Conference (PPRC) board reviewed the evidence and concluded that the matter did not constitute a public protection issue. Additionally, social services assessed the situation and found no concerns regarding the well-being of Ash’s children. This further undermined the validity of the allegations and highlighted the need for transparency and accountability from those making these claims.
After more weeks of waiting, Ash received a partial disclosure of the long-awaited documents.
The documents showed that Ash had been recognized as a Person Posing Risc to Cildren (PPRC) and “is assessed as posing a continuing risk of serious harm to a child(ren).” Serious harm is defined as “an event which is life-threatening and/or traumatic and from which recovery, whether physical or psychological, can be expected to be difficult or impossible” (HMPPS Oasys). The reason Ash was recognized as a PPRC was based on one telephone conversation in which, while talking to his wife and his 3-year-old daughter, he made a joking remark about Polish and English people.
Ash appealed the decision and sent an extensive document to the anti-corruption department, requesting an investigation into the case. From Ash’s perspective, the accusations against him of using ideological language in conversations with his daughter and politically grooming her were groundless. However, it remains uncertain when or if Ash will regain contact with his daughters.
HMP Swaleside has subjected Ash to emotional torment for 6 months. The stress and emotional pain have sometimes left him struggling to catch his breath, resulting in a weight loss of 6 kg. This hardship has been exacerbated by the use of his children as a weapon against him—a cruel act that deeply affects the essence of family and humanity. Despite this, Ash has courageously fought back using the prison’s procedures, demonstrating that these systems can be made to function when utilized effectively. The battle aims to expedite the process so that Ash and his children no longer endure suffering. Ash’s older daughter, who last saw her dad and spoke with him more than 6 months ago, holds onto old memories of him each day just to remember him. As for his 1.5-year-old daughter, she hasn’t seen her dad for almost half of her life; to her, he’s only a person in photographs.
After months of emotional anguish, Ash has finally received the breakthrough he’s been desperately hoping for. The PPRC restriction has been entirely lifted due to insufficient evidence and your unwavering support. While he may not be able to see his little girls as often as he’d like, Ash can now hold them in his arms, tell them bedtime stories, and be part of their lives again in ways he once feared he’d lost. This victory means everything to him!
Conclusion
Ash is proved that a PPRC restriction can be overturned if it is unfairly given. Imposing PPRC restrictions targeting two prominent nationalist prisoners (Sam Melia and Ashley) is clearly a politically motivated attack, but the issue can be far broader. Countless other prisoners, both political and non-political, can be crushed by a system that should be rehabilitative, not punitive. The very idea that people are sent to prison as punishment, not for further punishment, is being grossly violated.
Most prisoners, struggling with a reading level equivalent to that of an 11-year-old, are unaware of their rights and unable to fight back. This is unacceptable. We must harness public pressure and the power of policy to break the will of those who perpetuate these harmful practices. We cannot stand by and allow this brutality to continue, especially when families and innocent children are being torn apart.
How was Ash’s restriction changed step by step?
(Note: this is not legal advice and is based on Ash’s experience)
Ash first used the internal prison appeal process, which is mandatory for any prisoner who disagrees with restrictions imposed on them. Ash filed three separate complaints, but in each case, the responses led nowhere—he was continuously dismissed with no resolution.
Frustrated, Ash reached out to an external body, the Ombudsman, and waited for their response. During this time, his wife began writing letters to the Governor. When she uncovered that the Public Protection Manual explicitly stated that Ash had the full right to access all evidence, she immediately wrote him again.
This discovery prompted the Governor to launch an investigation into Ash’s case. As a result, the Governor ordered a re-evaluation of the PPRC restriction. After more than a month and numerous letters sent to the Governor, the restriction was lifted
It is a heartrending truth that without the steadfast support of external advocates, Ash might have been ensnared in this struggle indefinitely, or the ordeal might have stretched into an excruciatingly prolonged battle.
After five months, Ash finally received a response from the Ombudsman. Since Ash’s restriction had already been lifted, the investigation was halted. However, Ash did not stop there. He reached out to the Anti-Corruption Department, requesting a deeper investigation into his case, and he plans to appeal again.
May God bless you all!
To be continued…
Ash was denied his right to appeal!
The judge hearing the appeal completely ignored the lack of incriminating evidence against Ash and only used quotes from the original judge. At this point, Ash will try to appeal this decision.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
—Matthew 5:16, NIV
