Britain First leader Paul Golding to deny inciting hatred with Belfast speech on Islam

Far-right leader to face trial on same day as his deputy Jayda Fransen

Britain First leader Paul Golding leaves Belfast Magisrates' Court alongside his Jayda Fransen and supporters after a hearing on 10 January (PA)

The leader of far-right extremist group Britain First is to deny inciting hatred as the group faces a series of criminal cases.

Paul Golding is charged with threatening, abusive or insulting language at the Northern Ireland Against Terrorism that took place outside Belfast City Hall in August.

His deputy Jayda Fransen – who earned international notoriety after her anti-Islam Twitter posts were shared by Donald Trump – is also being prosecuted for her speech at the same event.

Mr Golding’s barrister, Richard McConkey, told Belfast Magistrates’ Court that he would deny the charges during a brief appearance.

The 35-year-old defendant, from Anerley in south-east London, spoke only to confirm he understood the charges.

Supporters gathered in the public gallery and police were stationed outside for the second day in a row, following Ms Fransen’s hearing on Tuesday.

Mr Golding had been arrested while supporting his deputy at a previous appearance at Belfast Magistrates’ Court in December.

He faces two charges of using words which were threatening, abusive or insulting and likely to stir up hatred or arouse fear or which were intended to do so.

A third person, understood to be 55-year-old far-right activist Paul Rimmer, from Liverpool, has also been charged over comments made at the same event.

The rally came on the day Irish republican protesters paraded in Belfast to mark the anniversary of internment - detention without trial - being introduced during the Northern Ireland conflict.

District judge Fiona Bagnall said Mr Golding’s case will be reviewed on 26 January ahead of a trial due to start on 6 April - the same date as Ms Fransen’s.

The pair face separate legal action in England over their activities with Britain First, which posts incendiary videos on social media and became notorious for its “invasions” of supposedly Muslim-majority areas, mosques and shops.

Thomas Mair, the far-right extremist who murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, repeatedly shouted "Britain first" while carrying out his brutal attack.

Britain First has enjoyed added prominence after the US President retweeted three Islamophobic videos posted by Ms Fransen’s Twitter account, which has since been suspended alongside Mr Golding’s as part of a crackdown on hate speech.

Mr Trump’s posts, championed as a mark of support by Britain First, sparked outrage and triggered an open row with Downing Street seeing Theresa May condemn his actions as “wrong” and the President tell her to focus on “radical Islamic terrorism”.

Britain First has since claimed that it received hundreds of new membership applications and said its Facebook posts were reaching hundreds of thousands more users.

The group is planning to hold a “Rally for Trump” outside the US Embassy in London to coincide with the President's working visit to the UK next month.

Additional reporting by PA