Dover far-right firebomber choked to death after attacking migrant centre
8 November 2022, 13:26 | Updated: 8 November 2022, 15:12
A man who thew firebombs at a migrant centre in Dover died of asphyxiation, an inquest has heard.
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High Wycombe man Andrew Leak, 66, threw as many as three incendiary devices at the centre on October 30.
He was later found dead in a nearby petrol station in the driver's seat of his car, a white Seat.
Police believe the attack was driven by far-right-wing ideology, although Leak was not known to counter-terrorist police or the security services.
Two members of the centre suffered minor injuries from the attack.
The inquest was opened in Maidstone in Kent on Tuesday morning, and adjourned provisionally to January 27 next year.
Leak had shared far-right content and racist comments on social media before committing the attack.
He also smoked cannabis and posted pictures of Batman villain The Joker.
He is understood to have had health issues including arthritis and had battled cancer in recent years.
Dover immigration centre firebombing suspect lived 120 miles away
The Daily Mail reported he told a neighbour he had to have his penis removed because of a late stage tumour around four years ago.
Last October, he wrote that he had sent a parcel "to the British government" warning that he wanted to "end illegal immigration into this country within one year from the French boat side."
Read more: ‘Extreme right wing motivation’ behind Dover firebomb attack, police say
He posted pictures online of him wearing a Union Jack face mask, and frequently shared conspiracy theories from far-right groups.
In July, he posted: “All Muslims are guilty of grooming … they only rape non-Muslims”.
Last year he wrote: “A message to the UK government: if you dare come for our children we will come for you. If I can not have freedom, then I will choose death.”
Home Office minister Robert Jenrick visits homes in Dover
In August, Leak wrote: “Next time the job centre sanctions your money for not looking for enough work asked them about the thousands of people getting benefits cannot speak English can not write English [sic]”.
He also shared a transphobic article from conservative news site The Blaze and would reference far-Right activist Tommy Robinson, a study of his profile by campaign group Hope Not Hate found.
