Former University of Warwick student stands trial as a Neo-Nazi leader

A former University of Warwick student is on trial accused of being a member of the Neo-Nazi organisation National Action.

Alex Davies, from Swansea, was involved as a member of the group from between December 17, 2016, and September 27, 2017

It was banned as a terrorist organisation in December 2016 by the UK Government.

The 27-year-old told Winchester Crown Court that the group’s ban was the start of “exciting times” for the Neo-Nazi group.

The court also heard that he performed a Hitler salute in a gas chamber while visiting Buchenwald concentration camp.

Davies studied Philosophy at the University before allegations revealed his involvement in NA, as reported by the Boar in 2014.

Prosecutor Barnaby Jameson QC told the court that National Action intended to complete the work of Adolf Hitler, and co-founder Ben Raymond had invented the phrase ‘white jihad’ – or ‘white terror’ – for the organisation in an ode to Nazi Germany.

The Swansea-born Davies is also accused of setting up a splinter-group under a new name, NS131, following the ban of the original group. This included Davies travelling across the country for meetings with National Action members, as well as engaging in “fight training days”.

Jameson also said the group seeked to “place its people covertly in positions of authority” such as the Metropolitan police, joined by member Ben Hannam, and Mikko Vehvilainen, a serving soldier.

The National Action was formed by Davies and Raymond in 2013 after the decline of the English Defence League (EDL) and British National Party (BNP). Davies was part of a BNP Youth group but left to start his new organisation after finding the former in “disarray”. 

While at Warwick, he along with other National Action members interrupted a Warwick Anti-Sexism society protest, along with putting posters up around campus.

He told the Sunday Mirror at the time: “If we can stay out of prison we will. But you have to consider race-hate laws. They’re quite ambiguous, so it is possible some of us would go to prison. But we’re prepared for that.”

Although admitting to being a member of National Action, he denies membership of the organisation once it was banned.

The trial continues.