Man Arrested for Wearing Burka Attends Court… In a Burka

A 76-year-old man has appeared in court wearing a burka to deny a charge of wearing the Islamic face covering to conceal his identity during a protest.

Timothy Miller, of Southampton, Hampshire, was arrested in relation to an anti-migrant demonstration in Portsmouth on Sept 12.

Mr Miller told Portsmouth magistrates’ court he had been “studying” Islam and had chosen to wear the burka to gain a “greater understanding” of the religion.

After the defendant had entered the dock, District Judge Stephen Apted asked him: “Can you remove your face covering so we can identify you please?”

Mr Miller lifted the veil of the burka as he confirmed his name, date of birth and address.

Asked how he pleaded to the charge of using the burka to conceal his identity within a designated area under section 158 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, Mr Miller replied: “As I am in every police camera, I am not guilty.”

Asked what his legal defence to the charge was, he replied: “The issue quite simply is we should be all living under one law, of which I think everybody is under agreement.”

He said he had an “exemption” for “Islamic” religious observance, “which I am entitled to, therefore it was an exemption for which I told the police”.

Asked to clarify that the religion was Islam, Mr Miller responded: “I do not feel I should answer this question because nobody is asked this question when they come into the country.”

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Mr Miller told the court he had lived in Morocco and travelled to Bahrain and Dubai.

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