Far-right activist Daniel Thomas admits criminal damage of dinghy in the Channel

Thomas changes plea over slashing boat with knife after watching occupants being helped by rescue services

The far-right activist Daniel Thomas has admitted criminal damage after slashing an inflatable dinghy with a knife in the Channel.

The 37-year-old, who is known as Danny Tommo, changed his plea to the single charge when he appeared via video link from prison at Portsmouth crown court on Thursday.

A court previously heard Thomas had taken a boat into the Channel and observed migrants on a dinghy being assisted by the RNLI, Border Force and the French coastguard.

Kevin Lucie, prosecuting, told Basingstoke magistrates court in September the defendant instructed his boat be steered towards the empty vessel that was adrift and then armed himself with a knife as rescue crews also approached the dinghy and a Frenchman boarded from a rescue vessel.

After slashing the boat with the knife, Thomas could be heard saying: “This is what needs to happen to everyone in these boats. Right, you’re on English territory, this is England, this is not France any more.

“Get off the boat, you have time to get off the boat. This is not France. Take them back.”

At the hearing on Thursday, Thomas, whose address was withheld by the court at a previous hearing, reiterated his plea of not guilty to failing to disclose the pin to his phone to police, under section 53 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.