Soldier Pleads Not Guilty To Terrorism Offences

A soldier accused of being a member of a neo-Nazi group has pleaded not guilty to terrorism offences.

At Birmingham Crown Court, Lance Corporal Mikko Vevhilainen, 33, pleaded not guilty to two counts of stirring up racial hatred and one count of possessing a document containing information likely to be useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism.

He is alleged to have stirred up racial hatred in April and September 2016 by publishing threatening written material on a website.

Vevhilainen, fellow soldier Private Mark Barrett, 24, and civilian Alexander Deakin have not yet been asked to enter a plea to a charge alleging they were members of neo-Nazi group, National Action.

Deakin denied two charges of possessing a document containing terrorist information, including one describing itself as a "white resistance" manual, on dates between 2014 and 2017.

He also pleaded not guilty to one count of distributing a terrorist publication.

The three men are next due to appear in court on February 19.

Cover image: Press Association.