The 76-year-old pleads not guilty to a charge of using a face covering to conceal his identity
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A man charged after wearing a burka at an anti-migrant protest in England showed up to court wearing the Islamic face covering to deny the charge on Wednesday.
Timothy Miller of Southampton, Hampshire, was arrested during a protest in Portsmouth on Sept. 12, the Telegraph reported.
Appearing in Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court for a hearing, the 76-year-old pleaded not guilty to a charge of wearing a face covering to conceal his identity at a protest.
District Judge Stephen Apted reportedly asked Miller to remove his face covering so that he could be identified.
Miller then lifted the veil of the burka to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
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A 76-year-old man has appeared in court wearing a burka to deny a charge of wearing the Islamic garment to conceal his identity during a protest.— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) October 14, 2026Timothy Miller, of Southampton, Hampshire, was arrested in relation to an anti-migrant demonstration in Portsmouth on Sept 12 ⤵️… pic.twitter.com/4KRYbCaUjT
Accused says he’s ‘studying Islam’
When asked by the judge what his legal defence to the charge was, he reportedly said, “The issue quite simply is we should be all living under one law, of which I think everybody is under agreement.”
He also said he had an “exemption,” and said that he was “studying Islam as it seems to be the most beneficial religion to be noticed in this climate today.”
He told the court he had lived in Morocco and travelled to Bahrain and Dubai.
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Miller also claimed his arrest was unlawful as he “complied with everything,” adding that he was never asked to remove his face covering.
He told the court that he does not currently have legal representation, but was crowdfunding to pay for it.
The judge said his defence representatives must produce a report confirming his case, and adjourned the case for a trial to be held at the same court on Feb 16.
Miller was released on unconditional bail until the trial.
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