A MAN accused of breaching a public order by ‘silently praying’ outside an abortion clinic will not face trial until later this year.

A ‘legal argument’ has pushed Adam Smith-Connor’s trial at Poole Magistrates’ Court back to September.

The 50-year-old is charged with failing to comply with a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) outside the BPAS abortion clinic in Bournemouth.

It is alleged that he stood within the ‘buffer zone’ outside the clinic in Ophir Road and prayed in November 2022.

The buffer zone has been in place outside the clinic since October last year and is enforced by BCP Council with a PSPO which criminalises “protesting with respect to issues related to abortion services”.

This includes prayer or counselling.

Anyone who breaches the order by harassing, obstructing, or interfering with those attending the clinic faces a fine or prosecution.

Smith-Connor pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with the PSPO at Poole Magistrates' Court on August 9, 2023.

A trial date was set for November 16, 2023, although this did not go ahead.

The defendant, of Kingfisher Way in Southampton, returned to the same court on January 18 of this year for a case management hearing. 

Poole Magistrates’ Court said this was ‘in respect of the legal argument due to a number of issues that arose’.

The case has been listed for trial on September 17, 2024, at the same court – the first available date for all involved parties.

Smith-Connor, who is being supported by the Christian legal advocacy group ADF UK, has been granted unconditional bail.