Anti-migrant activist Danny Tommo has appeared in court charged with entering a restricted zone at a migrant processing centre in Dover. The activist, whose real name is Daniel Thomas, 37, appeared via video-link wearing a grey T-shirt and rosary beads on Friday at Margate Magistrates’ Court in Kent.
Guilty plea and denied charges
District Judge William Nelson sent his case for a further case management hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 4. According to court documents, he pleaded guilty to going into a restricted zone at Western Jet Foil in Dover, Kent on March 31 at a previous court appearance on August 27.
He denied further charges of using threatening words or behaviour in Dover on April 1, and obstructing a person engaged in a lawful activity on April 6. Thomas also pleaded not guilty to entering or remaining in Dover Docks without having lawful business or permission on April 1 and April 6, according to the documents.
Racially aggravated harassment allegation
He is also accused of racially aggravated harassment by allegedly using threatening or abusive words in the sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress in Dover on April 1.
Thomas faces spending Christmas behind bars after being remanded in custody this week ahead of his trial next year, accused of criminal damage of a boat in the English Channel. He denies criminal damage after he allegedly slashed a boat in the English Channel with an emergency responder on board on September 22.
Additional charges and potential sentence
Thomas also denied failing to disclose the Pin to his phone to police, under Section 53 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The maximum sentence if convicted of criminal damage valued at more than £5,000 is 10 years’ imprisonment, according to the Sentencing Council. But if the damage is valued lower than £5,000 the maximum sentence could be a fine and three months’ jail time.
His barrister described the allegation as ‘politically charged and fundamentally flawed’.
