Man appears in court accused of hailing MP Jo Cox's killer a 'hero'

Kieran Turner is accused of encouraging terrorism

Jo Cox MP died after being attacked in her constituency Batley and Spen in 2016
Author: Emily Pennink, PAPublished 19th May 2023

An alleged far-right extremist has appeared at the Old Bailey accused of encouraging terrorism by glorifying the murderer of MP Jo Cox.

Kieran Turner, 36, from Earby in Lancashire, allegedly published a statement in January 2019 calling for "650 Thomas Mairs" and hailing the terrorist killer as a "hero".

Batley and Spen MP Ms Cox was fatally shot and stabbed by far-right terrorist Mair during the EU referendum campaign in June 2016 .

Turner is also accused of sharing live-streamed footage of a terrorist attack on March 15 2019 - the day of the Christchurch mosque shootings - and a document detailing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

He faces a total of 10 charges: one of encouraging terrorism, two of disseminating a terrorist publication and seven counts of stirring up racial hatred in written material on dates in 2019 and 2020.

The material stirring up racial hatred allegedly includes racist and antisemitic statements, and an apparent reference to terrorist organisation National Action, which was proscribed in December 2016 in the wake of Ms Cox's murder.

Turner appeared at the Old Bailey by video link on Friday for a preliminary hearing.

Mr Justice Baker set a trial at Manchester Crown Court from May 7 2024 with a plea hearing on September 8.

The defendant was granted continued bail.

Hear all the latest news from across Tayside, Perthshire and Angus on Tay FM. Listen on FM, via our Rayo app, DAB, or smart speaker.