Halesowen man found not guilty of supporting terror groups

Kieron Brockhouse said there was no malice behind flying the flags of two banned Ulster loyalist groups

A man accused of supporting two banned terror groups has been found not guilty following a trial.

Kieron Brockhouse, of Halesowen, near Dudley, had allegedly flown flags by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).

Prosecutors claimed he had breached the Terrorism Act in April 2021 and May 2022 by flying the flags at two houses.

The 42-year-old was unanimously acquitted of two counts of supporting a proscribed organisation on Tuesday.

The jury deliberated for two-and-a-half hours before clearing Brockhouse of both charges.

During a five-day trial, the court heard how he had bought the UFF and UDA flags from a high street shop during a visit to Belfast.

The organisations were proscribed as terrorist groups in 1973 and 1992 respectively.

Giving evidence, Brockhouse told the court there was no malice behind flying the flags and posting pictures of them on social media.

The trial heard Brockhouse, who said he was "gobsmacked" by his arrest in May 2022, had no intention of encouraging terrorism and believed the UFF and UDA had both ceased to exist after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Prosecutors at Birmingham Crown Court alleged he was reckless as to whether his actions in flying the flags and posting images on social media had encouraged others to support the organisations.

But Brockhouse claimed he was copying the flying of flags he had seen displayed in Belfast, and that he had flown several flags at the address in Dudley to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Northern Ireland in 2021.

His barrister, Gulam Ahmed, said Brockhouse thought both organisations no longer existed.

"If he didn't know they were proscribed, he simply could not be reckless," he said.

Following the verdicts, Brockhouse said "it's over" towards those watching from the public gallery as he left the dock.