Prominent loyalist David ‘Dee’ Stitt’s trial for allegedly inciting religious hatred by posting a social media “call to arms” while holidaying in Spain has been put on hold.
The 54-year-old community worker attended Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to contest charges over a Facebook message which urged people to attend protests aimed at bringing Northern Ireland to a standstill.
But the case was adjourned for lawyers to submit “substantial legal points” in writing as part of the defence.
Stitt, of Lord Warden’s Court in Bangor, Co Down, denies a charge of publishing threatening, abusive or insulting material with intent to stir up hatred amid racial tensions last summer.
Previous courts heard a posting on his Facebook page account on July 31 stated “enough is enough… get up and stand up” in response to the killing of three young girls in Southport, England.
Listing parts of Belfast, Newtownabbey and north Down where protests were to be held three days later, it stated: “The aim is to bring the country to a standstill.”
Advice was given for women and children to be at the front of demonstrations at all locations.
The message continued: ““This is the Christian west under siege when children aren’t safe (in) the places we send them to express happiness, joy and fun.
“What can you say to your children in years to come when we had one chance to stop the spread of evil Islam.”
Detectives investigating the published material arrested Stitt at Belfast City Airport on August 22.
It was revealed that he had just arrived back from a six-week stay in Alicante, where the material was allegedly posted.
Police and prosecutors have described the publication as a “call to arms”, claiming the intention was to incite fear or hatred of a group of people defined by religious belief.
During interviews Stitt told police it was made on a private Facebook account he thought could only be seen by around 700 friends.
He described it as a reshare of a message sent to him about staging peaceful protests, insisting most of the content had been written by someone else.
Stitt insisted that he would not have forwarded the original posting if he had read all of it.
His barrister, John Larkin KC, has already argued the charge is invalid because the relevant public order legislation lacks extra-territorial powers to cover a posting made on holiday in Spain.
Still, who is currently on bail, was accompanied into court by prominent loyalist activist Jamie Bryson.
However, prosecution counsel David Russell KC, indicated the trial was not ready to proceed.
“There are very substantial legal points in the case which would be best reduced to writing before commencing the evidence,” he said.
Agreeing to adjourn the hearing, District Judge Ted Magill said a new date for the contest will be fixed next month.