The crown court trial of a Pembrokeshire man accused of stirring up racial hatred will take place next week, despite an application by his defence counsel to vacate the trial.

James Allchurch, 50, of Gelli near Narberth, is charged with 15 counts of distributing audio material to stir up racial hatred over a two-year period.

His trial began in July last year. It was due to be split into two sections due to the barristers strikes.

However, on the third day of the trial, when this was suggested by Judge His Honour Huw Rees KC, five of the 12 jury members said that they would be unavailable at the end of July due to pre-booked holidays.

The remainder of the trial was then adjourned to this month.

During the first part of the trial the jury heard that the 15 charges related to audio files which were uploaded between May 2019 and March 2021 to a website called Radio Aryan, which was later renamed Radio Albion.

The episodes were said to have been ‘insulting or abusive’ about ethnic minorities, often uploaded along with inflammatory cartoons and given titles such as Rivers Of Blood, Banned In The UK, the Leftist Supremacist Mindset, and the Usual Suspects.

On the opening day of the trial the Crown made the case that Allchurch was responsible for distributing the audio recordings which were ‘white supremacist’ in nature, was the owner of the website and the main host.

At a pre-trial hearing this morning Allchurch’s recently appointed defence barrister, Emily Baxter, asked that the trial be vacated.

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She said that the defence barrister who was due to represent Allchurch, who had specialist experience in such matters having represented members of National Action in the past, would not now be available for the trial.

Due to a trial she was currently involved in having been extended, diary and personal commitments she would not be available ‘any time soon’.

“Mr Allchurch is concerned that a last minute change of counsel may put him at a disadvantage,” said Ms Baxter.

She added that there was a lot of material, including 15 hours of recordings, to be reviewed and instructions to be taken.

“His concern is that we won’t be trial ready,” she said.

Judge Her Honour Catherine Richards KC said she could see no reason to vacate the trial.

“Defendants often have concerns,” she said. “Quite often they are unfounded and are because they perceive that there is only one barrister who can represent them.”

She said that reviewing the evidence and taking instruction on it must have been done already as the case had come to trial.

“If the other solicitors haven’t [done that work] they can come before this court and explain why they have failed in their professional duty,” she said.

“This case has bee listed for some time now. Evereybody knows how difficult it is to get a case listed, particularly a case of this type. I see no grounds to vacate the trial at all.”

She added that the case had bee listed at the defence barrister’s convenience and that Jon Rees KC, prosecuting, had also taken it on at short notice.

Mr Rees added that he objected to an application to vacate the trial and that he was ready to go and anticipated looking at the jury bundle and video footage on Monday.

Judge Richards said that the trial would resume on Monday.

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