Daniel Thomas remanded in custody as trial set for March over Channel boat slashing
Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, is remanded in custody over the alleged slashing of a migrant dinghy in the Channel; he denies criminal damage and failing to give police his phone PIN, with trial set for March.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
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.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A person named Thomas was charged with criminal damage and failing to disclose his phone security code, remanded in custody, and due to appear at Basingstoke Magistrates Court. | · | |||||
| Daniel Thomas faced charges of criminal damage and failing to disclose a phone PIN or password, with reports of a not guilty plea and remand in custody or refusal of bail. | · | |||||
| Hampshire police detained a 37-year-old, identified by broadcasters as Daniel Thomas, also known as Danny Tomo, on suspicion of destroying ships and criminal damage with intent to endanger life. | · | |||||
| Daniel Thomas pleaded not guilty to failing to disclose his mobile phone PIN or password. | · | · | ||||
| Prosecutors alleged Daniel Thomas slashed a migrant boat or empty dinghy and made hostile remarks about English territory or people in the boats. | · | · | ||||
| Provisional 2026 small boat arrivals reached 18,500 after 781 more arrivals, down 42% on the same period last year. | · | · | ||||
| 781 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK in small boats in a single day, the highest daily total that year. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Around 300 supporters of Patriot Platform gathered at Basingstoke Investigation Centre. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Daniel Thomas is due to appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on 29 September. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, was in the public gallery during the proceedings. | · | · | · | · | ||
| An analysis found that two-thirds of search and rescue alerts for migrant boats are now issued by French authorities on land. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Dale Somerville was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to violent disorder. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This channel focused on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's description of Daniel Thomas as far-right and racist, and on whether Labour applies similar language to Palestine Action. It discussed Thomas's criminal record and whether he harms local anti-asylum campaigns, with little detail on the court charges or hearing.
- “Shabana Mahmood has described the leader of anti-asylum activist Daniel Thomas, who leads the Patriot platform, as far-right and out-right racist”
- “Yeah, I think he was convicted of kidnapping somebody.”
- “If I lived in Piddington and was involved in that local campaign quite legitimately to be concerned about this, I would not want anything to do with Danny Tomo.”
Channel 4 gave a detailed account of the arrest, charges, plea and bail refusal, while adding background on Thomas's far-right links, his supporters, and the pressure on the RNLI. It also noted the defence plan to dispute the level of damage and jurisdiction.
- “Hampshire police said a 37-year-old man was detained last night on suspicion of destroying ships and criminal damage with intent to endanger life.”
- “Today he pled not guilty to criminal damage and failing to disclose his mobile phone pin after his arrest.”
- “In court Thomas's defense team said they will challenge the level of damage caused and whether the incident happened within UK jurisdiction or international waters.”
5 concentrated on courtroom procedure and the prosecution's account, including the alleged words used during the incident and the presence of Tommy Robinson. It also reported the migration figures and the bail refusal.
- “Anti-migrant activist Daniel Thomas has pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal damage and failing to disclose his phone PIN at Basingstoke's Magistrates Court.”
- “the prosecutor said mr. Thomas took a boat into the English Channel and watched the migrant occupants of a small boat being assisted by Border Force the RNLI and The French Coast Guard”
- “It's alleged that mr. Thomas said various things including that this is what needs to happen to everyone in these boats”
BBC ONE West tracked the legal process closely, from arrest and charge to the Crown Court bail hearing and trial date. It emphasised the exact charges, the not guilty pleas, the remand in custody and the scheduled trial, with factual context on crossings.
- “Hampshire Police announced that Daniel Thomas had been charged with one count of criminal damage”
- “He's also been charged with a further offense in connection with failing to disclose a phone pin number to the police”
- “the judge refused his application for bail and remanded Daniel Thomas in custody and the judge also set a date for his trial and that date will be the first of March of next year”
ITV1 led on the court hearing and the refusal of bail, quoting the prosecution's account of what Thomas allegedly said on the boat. It also highlighted Tommy Robinson's presence in the public gallery and the next Crown Court date.
- “has been refused bail over a criminal damage charge”
- “Daniel Thomas pleaded not guilty to both charges.”
- “The prosecutor told magistrates that Mr. Thomas slashed at the boat saying you're on English territory and told the responder on board to get off after damaging the inflatable.”
Sky News reported the charge and remand briefly, then widened the story into migration data and an investigation into people smugglers' changing tactics. Its panel was critical of the anti-migrant protesters, calling their behaviour thuggish and intimidating.
- “Hampshire police have charged anti-migrant protester Daniel Thomas, known more widely as Danny Tomo, after he was filmed allegedly slashing a boat in the English Channel.”
- “The 37-year-old has been charged with one count of criminal damage and failing to disclose to police the security code to access his smartphone.”
- “It's thuggish, it's intimidating, it's bizarre, it's frightening, it's random.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 13:07 BST
- 12:06 BST
“Hampshire police says a 37-year-old was detained on suspicion of destroying ships and criminal damage with intent to endanger life.”
Channel 4 News Summary · Thu 24 Sept - 19:49 BST
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, commonly known as Tommy Robinson
“He's sitting in a cell he's got another child on the way.”
Channel 4 News · Fri 25 Sept
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.