Overview
- A video that circulated on Tuesday, September 22 appears to show Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, using a knife to puncture an inflatable dinghy while a rescue worker was on board.
- Hampshire Police arrested the 37‑year‑old and the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges; Thomas pleaded not guilty and was remanded after electing a Crown Court trial on September 29.
- He faces one count of criminal damage and a further charge under Section 53 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act for allegedly refusing to disclose his phone PIN to police.
- Hundreds of his supporters gathered at a Gosport marina and outside a Basingstoke police centre, and officers made multiple arrests with several people later charged with assaulting emergency workers.
- The incident adds pressure on Border Security Command and local policing because of westward route shifts and larger 'mega‑dinghies', raises safety concerns for RNLI and rescue crews, and has prompted a government review of detection and response.