A man from Eastbourne has been remanded into custody after appearing in court charged with multiple counts of encouraging terrorism through a series of hate-filled posts on social media platform X.
Charges and Court Appearance
Thomas Smith, aged 33, faces seven separate counts of encouragement of terrorism. The charges relate to material he allegedly posted on the platform between 12 November and 2 December last year.
The defendant appeared at the Old Bailey via a video link from HMP Thameside, dressed in a grey tracksuit. His arrest in December followed an investigation into suspected extreme right-wing terrorism activity in East Sussex.
Nature of the Alleged Offences
Prosecutor Brett Weaver outlined the case for the court, stating it concerned Smith's use of an X account where he posted messages encouraging acts of terrorism. The account was allegedly active from September 2025 until Smith's arrest in December.
In that time, the court heard, approximately 2,700 posts were made. Mr Weaver described the content as being of an "extreme right-wing nature", which included open expressions of hatred for immigrants, Muslims, and non-white persons.
The prosecution argued the posts encouraged "serious violence to be used against groups he has a hostility to", with the defendant's alleged intention being to "preserve Britain as a white country and further his ideological causes".
Next Steps in the Legal Process
A plea and trial preparation hearing has been scheduled for 1 May. Furthermore, a provisional trial date has been set for 13 July at Bristol Crown Court, where the case will be heard in full.
Smith was remanded into custody and will remain there until his next court appearance. The case highlights ongoing legal and security efforts to combat extremist content and the alleged incitement of violence on social media platforms.
