Daniel Thomas remanded in custody as trial set for March over Channel boat slashing

Daniel Thomas, 37, known to supporters as Danny Tommo, has appeared in court over the slashing of a dinghy in the English Channel. He has been charged with one count of criminal damage and one count of failing to disclose the PIN for his mobile phone to police. He pleaded not guilty to both. He was refused bail at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court and later remanded in custody at Portsmouth Crown Court. A trial date has been set for 1 March next year.

The allegations stem from an incident on Tuesday. Prosecutors say Thomas live-streamed from a boat in the Channel as around 50 migrants were taken off an inflatable dinghy by rescuers. After the migrants had been transferred, Thomas's boat approached the empty dinghy. He is alleged to have taken out a knife and slashed the side of the boat while a French emergency responder or rescue crew member was on board. The prosecution says he shouted words to the effect of 'You're on English territory', 'This is England. This is not France anymore', and told the responder to get off the boat. In another account, he said 'this is what needs to happen to everyone in these boats'. The defence has said it will challenge the level of damage and whether the incident took place in UK jurisdiction or international waters.

Thomas was initially arrested on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life, destroying ships under the Aviation and Maritime Security Act, and conduct endangering ships under the Merchant Shipping Act. He was later charged with criminal damage and failing to provide the PIN to his phone. At his first hearing at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court, he appeared by video link, pleaded not guilty and elected for a Crown Court trial. The judge refused bail. At a later hearing at Portsmouth Crown Court, he appeared by video link from Winchester Prison, wearing an olive green T-shirt and holding a Bible. The judge again refused bail and set a trial date for 1 March.

Supporters gathered outside court, and the far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, attended hearings. Some supporters wore black and chanted. Thomas is the founder of the anti-immigration group Patriot Platform and a former bodyguard for Tommy Robinson. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has described him as far-right and an outright racist. She said his organisation would face the full force of the law if it committed crimes near contested asylum sites such as Piddington in Oxfordshire. French authorities have previously imposed temporary bans on Thomas and associates travelling to northern France, accusing them of intimidating humanitarian organisations and creating a public order risk.

The case comes amid continued small boat crossings. On the day before his arrest, 781 migrants arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel, the highest single-day figure this year. The provisional total for the year is around 18,500, down 42% on the same point last year. French authorities say two more migrants died attempting the crossing in the past 48 hours. The RNLI has said it removed trackers from two of its vessels because crews were being targeted for saving lives at sea, and its Portsmouth station remains closed after a protest linked to Thomas. The charity says assisting with small boat rescues accounts for a small share of its operations.