Man From Leicester Among Six To Appear In Court Over Membership Of Banned National Action Group

9 January 2018, 17:12 | Updated: 9 January 2018, 17:20

Six people including a man from Leicester - have told a court they intend to plead not guilty - to being members of the banned group National Action.

26 year old Daniel Bogunovic from Crown Hills Rise is also accused of intending to stir up racial hatred by sticking National Action stickers up at a University.

Nathan Pryke, 26; Adam Thomas, 21; Claudia Patatas, 38; Darren Fletcher, 28; Daniel Bogunovic, 26; and 24-year-old Joel Wilmore appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The charges relate to belonging to the banned group between December 17 2016 and September 5 last year.

The decision by the Government to ban National Action came into force in December 2016, making membership of the group a criminal offence carrying a sentence of up to 10 years' imprisonment.

At the time the ban was brought in, the Home Office said the neo-Nazi group was the first far-right organisation to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation.

Bogunovic is also charged with intending to stir up racial hatred by posting National Action-branded stickers at the Aston University campus in Birmingham.

All six were charged after an inquiry involving the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit and have pleaded not-guilty.

They are all due to appear at the Old Bailey on 19th January.