Daniel “Tommo” Thomas charged, no bail.

“We could argue all day long as to wether Tommo should have done what he did, the point is he going to spend his first night in prison when a potential paedophile and rapist is not behind bars and could disappear in the 22 months before his trial.

This is why so many people are so angry, it Lucy Connolly all over again.“

Just to be very clear, this is not Daniel Thomas’ first night in jail.

Allsorts

How can he be jailed for damaging an illegal craft, used for illegal purposes, when no one on board. Maybe the traffickers will be awarded damages, who knows.

Crazy isn’t it?

“Primrose53

Allsorts
How can he be jailed for damaging an illegal craft, used for illegal purposes, when no one on board. Maybe the traffickers will be awarded damages, who knows.
Crazy isn’t it?”

I think someone has already pointed out that this boat had already been seized by authorities therefore no longer belonged to traffickers and then there was a man onboard (French authorities or British authorities) I believe he was breaking his bail conditions and also was unauthorised in those waters.

It doesn’t matter if he was doing something you agree with, or that I disagree with, he was breaking a law and fined and lived-streamed himself doing so. What a waste of an expensive education!

Filmed! Not fined!

Primrose53

Allsorts

How can he be jailed for damaging an illegal craft, used for illegal purposes, when no one on board. Maybe the traffickers will be awarded damages, who knows.

Crazy isn’t it?

Nuts! Ok if it was across the board but it seems to be very irregular and very against anyone opposed to the current regime.

I cant imagine any regime tolerating what he has been doing unless it was say Reform who presumably would be acting n such as way as to make these actions unnecessary.

He is organising insurrections for goodness sake and intends to make a martyr of himself by this stunt to gain support for the cause.

I can just imagine the outrage were it a far left group doing anything similar from those currently "minimising" what he is up to.

It's not just disturbing the peace, its building a movement of people prepared to act outside the law, and often with violence as well.

Wyllow3

I cant imagine any regime tolerating what he has been doing unless it was say Reform who presumably would be acting n such as way as to make these actions unnecessary.

He is organising insurrections for goodness sake and intends to make a martyr of himself by this stunt to gain support for the cause.

I can just imagine the outrage were it a far left group doing anything similar from those currently "minimising" what he is up to.

It's not just disturbing the peace, its building a movement of people prepared to act outside the law, and often with violence as well.

👏 👏 👏 👏 👏

So, for some Posters, it's good that the Police arrest and hold pensioners for doing a sit down protest with some banned words, but a man with a criminal record, on bail for something else, physically damages a boat, with a person on board, while ranting and raving, has no fixed abode, but he should be allowed bail?

Welcome to child molesters , let them go home without imprisonment but people protesting are jailed? Not right.

It's obvious to me what this is it's two tier justice (1984 George Orwell) can't have the people (us plebs) protesting and being upset about what is happening to our country can we. Lucy Connolly was Starmers downfall this will be Burnhams people are not stupid they can see what is happening.

Nanna, a thread has started about women/child abuse so's we can all have our say on that issue if we want.

Peacelilydilly

It's obvious to me what this is it's two tier justice (1984 George Orwell) can't have the people (us plebs) protesting and being upset about what is happening to our country can we. Lucy Connolly was Starmers downfall this will be Burnhams people are not stupid they can see what is happening.

Now, there are so many ways of protesting! Peaceful marches prearranged as proper. Having meetings and putting pressure on MP's on this issue (like the Piddington meeting and villagers get together. *Accurate information sent out that includes the fact that there are 43% less arriving on boats this year. Tightening the rules on incomers generally quite stiffly.

the rabble rousers are only presenting one side. I'd bet a considerable amount most of them dont know abut the 43%, and the rest, because it is inconvenient for Tommo et al to produce these truths and that things are being done and of course they are being listened to. What on earth do you think we discuss on L Party branch meetings?

We don't just sit there complacently drinking cuppas, we take the issues as concerns folk locally (ie settlement in our area) and try to work out schemes which work as far as is possible. And my branch ward includes many who would appreciate Tommo, but when you actually engage people and knock on doors they truly, simply, do not know about measures taken.

Wyllow3

I cant imagine any regime tolerating what he has been doing unless it was say Reform who presumably would be acting n such as way as to make these actions unnecessary.

He is organising insurrections for goodness sake and intends to make a martyr of himself by this stunt to gain support for the cause.

I can just imagine the outrage were it a far left group doing anything similar from those currently "minimising" what he is up to.

It's not just disturbing the peace, its building a movement of people prepared to act outside the law, and often with violence as well.

Yes, bail or being remanded in custody does not depend on just the charges but on previous convictions and the possibility of further offences being committed.

What is worrying in the other case is the length of time the accused will be out on bail, the possibility the man may be a previous offender but his history is unknown, the uncertainty as to whether he could offend again and the impact this is having on his alleged victims.
Nearly two years for this case to be heard is unacceptable.

Wyllow3

I cant imagine any regime tolerating what he has been doing unless it was say Reform who presumably would be acting n such as way as to make these actions unnecessary.

He is organising insurrections for goodness sake and intends to make a martyr of himself by this stunt to gain support for the cause.

I can just imagine the outrage were it a far left group doing anything similar from those currently "minimising" what he is up to.

It's not just disturbing the peace, its building a movement of people prepared to act outside the law, and often with violence as well.

Methinks we are totally wasting our time and efforts.

It’s utterly pointless attempting to point out factual information when some have already made up their minds that Mr Thomas is being unfairly treated.

I cannot draw any meaningful comparisons between the two crimes, one has been witnessed by thousands of people, as the person committing said crime live-streamed himself doing it.

The second, whilst a hugely more serious crime, is simply an allegation at this moment.

Where I will get angry and upset is when and if the second person charged is found guilty and given, what I might feel, is too light a sentence, after which, if he is an AS, he needs to be deported.

JenniRen 10:14

I completely agree.

A fundamental problem in all of this is the backlog in our court system.

A charge of rape has to be tried in Crown Court.

At the end of June 2026 there were 80,829 outstanding cases waiting in England and Wales to be heard in Crown Court.

In March, Brunel University published a paper analysing the reasons for the backlog. Whitehall spending cuts in the 2010s of course and the closure of dozens of courts but also:

The composition of cases has shifted. Serious sexual and violent offences now make up a larger share of the Crown Court caseload than before the pandemic. The backlog of sexual offence cases increased by 40% between 2023 and 2025. These cases are often contested and require longer trials, further slowing the system.

www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/articles/How-did-the-courts-backlog-get-so-bad

It’s all very depressing. Add to that we have prisons full to capacity.

I was struck by the conversation between Vera Baird and Tom Swarbrick on LBC. She echoed what James Timpson has already said. That women in prison for minor non-violent offences should be released on probation to free up prison space for the increasing number of violent male offenders.

While all cases start in the Magistrates’ Court, magistrates have limited powers and can only hand down relatively short sentences. An increasing number of cases are having to go to trial or be referred to the higher court when someone has pleaded guilty to an offence where the sentencing guidelines are outside the magistrates remit.

That’s what has happened in the case of Zafer Dogan who pleaded guilty in magistrates court to making indecent images. He was released on bail while sentencing reports were made and then passed back and forth between different higher courts for sentencing.

Quite why he has only been given 28 months when the sentencing start point is six years and the range four to nine is a mystery. From what I read of the case, it’s unclear why magistrates didn’t remand him after he pleaded. They have the power to do that when there is a risk of reoffending while on bail. Presumably the police seized the tech he had been using but without direct supervision it would be easy to acquire more.

Going back to what I said about Thomas's remand, there is the test of whether there is ‘no real prospect of immediate custody’.

In Dogan’s case there was a real prospect of immediate custody as he had pleaded guilty. There was no need for a trial. I can't help wondering why the magistrates bailed him in the first instance and what is in that pre-sentencing report.

Graphite

A fundamental problem in all of this is the backlog in our court system.

A charge of rape has to be tried in Crown Court.

At the end of June 2026 there were 80,829 outstanding cases waiting in England and Wales to be heard in Crown Court.

In March, Brunel University published a paper analysing the reasons for the backlog. Whitehall spending cuts in the 2010s of course and the closure of dozens of courts but also:

The composition of cases has shifted. Serious sexual and violent offences now make up a larger share of the Crown Court caseload than before the pandemic. The backlog of sexual offence cases increased by 40% between 2023 and 2025. These cases are often contested and require longer trials, further slowing the system.

www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/articles/How-did-the-courts-backlog-get-so-bad

It’s all very depressing. Add to that we have prisons full to capacity.

I was struck by the conversation between Vera Baird and Tom Swarbrick on LBC. She echoed what James Timpson has already said. That women in prison for minor non-violent offences should be released on probation to free up prison space for the increasing number of violent male offenders.

While all cases start in the Magistrates’ Court, magistrates have limited powers and can only hand down relatively short sentences. An increasing number of cases are having to go to trial or be referred to the higher court when someone has pleaded guilty to an offence where the sentencing guidelines are outside the magistrates remit.

That’s what has happened in the case of Zafer Dogan who pleaded guilty in magistrates court to making indecent images. He was released on bail while sentencing reports were made and then passed back and forth between different higher courts for sentencing.

Quite why he has only been given 28 months when the sentencing start point is six years and the range four to nine is a mystery. From what I read of the case, it’s unclear why magistrates didn’t remand him after he pleaded. They have the power to do that when there is a risk of reoffending while on bail. Presumably the police seized the tech he had been using but without direct supervision it would be easy to acquire more.

Going back to what I said about Thomas's remand, there is the test of whether there is ‘no real prospect of immediate custody’.

In Dogan’s case there was a real prospect of immediate custody as he had pleaded guilty. There was no need for a trial. I can't help wondering why the magistrates bailed him in the first instance and what is in that pre-sentencing report.

It’s no wonder we sometimes have little faith in our justice system.

Presumably the judge is acting under instructions....treat guests with kid gloves and make an example of those who dare take it upon themselves to tackle illegal activity.
Now we know whose side the law is on.

What a load of tosh Mumtothree
How do know know the Syrian man is a guest he could have been granted asylum years ago, neither do you know if he’s guilty.
TR filmed himself breaking the law by the looks of it, but again is innocent until proven guilty.

Fallingstar

Thanks for the info Graphite.
So am imagining the pedophile I mentioned in my post had no priors, but this doesn’t take away from the very real risk to children upon his release. I just think that sex offences are often a compulsion which the offender cannot control so rules around releasing them because there are no priors should be reviewed.

Exactly this. The law is an ass.

mum2three

Presumably the judge is acting under instructions....treat guests with kid gloves and make an example of those who dare take it upon themselves to tackle illegal activity.
Now we know whose side the law is on.

Honestly, you truly do talk tosh!

greyfur16

Tommo...it's hilarious. Just like his mate Tommy Robinson.

What's with the Tommy thing?

“Tommo” is and for many decades has been the usual abbreviation or nickname for males called Thomas or with the surname Thomas.

Out of the 4 people called Thomas I know the abbreviation used is Tom.

Primrose53

greyfur16

Tommo...it's hilarious. Just like his mate Tommy Robinson.

What's with the Tommy thing?

“Tommo” is and for many decades has been the usual abbreviation or nickname for males called Thomas or with the surname Thomas.

Yes, Tommo is British and Australian slang for people with the surname Thomas.

Tommy, if not an abbreviation of a first name, could refer to a soldier - Tommy Atkins. It's historical, dating back to at least WW1.

Jaxjacky

Out of the 4 people called Thomas I know the abbreviation used is Tom.

Yes, I know four and three are abbreviated to Tom apart from one, he is always Thomas.

Tommy is becoming popular as a boys' name, along with other abbreviated names, eg Freddie, Billy, Alfie etc