Tommy Robinson jailed for 18 months after admitting contempt of court

Tommy Robinson has been jailed for 18 months after admitting contempt of court by repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee, in breach of an injunction.

The political activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, admitted 10 breaches of a High Court order made in 2021 at the start of a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday. Lawyers for the Solicitor General claimed the 41-year-old had been “thumbing his nose at the court” and “undermining” the rule of law, including by publishing a film called Silenced, which contains the libellous allegations, last year. Barristers for Robinson, who wore a grey suit and white shirt, said it was his “principles that have brought him before the court”. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Johnson said the breaches of the injunction were not “accidental, negligent or merely reckless” and that the “custodial threshold is amply crossed”. He said: “It was a planned, deliberate, direct, flagrant breach of the court’s orders.” He continued: “Nobody is above the law. Nobody can pick and choose which injunctions they obey and those they do not.” He added: “It is in the interests of the whole community that injunctions are obeyed.” Robinson stood with his hands on the edge of the dock and looked up at dozens of supporters, shrugging his shoulders, as the judge handed down the sentence. He saluted the public gallery and pumped his chest as he left the dock. His supporters packed the public gallery and stood outside the court on Monday, with some in court waving and blowing kisses to Robinson as he was led from the dock. Robinson had been barred from repeating false allegations against Jamal Hijazi, after the then-schoolboy successfully sued him for libel. The Solicitor General issued the first contempt claim against Robinson in June this year, claiming he “knowingly” breached the order on four occasions, including by having “published, caused, authorised or procured” Silenced in May last year. The film remains pinned to the top of Robinson’s profile on social media site X, while he also repeated the claims in three interviews between February and June 2023. The second claim was issued in August concerning six further breaches, including playing the film to a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in central London earlier this year. Lawyers for the Solicitor General told an earlier hearing that showing the film at the demonstration was a “flagrant” breach of the court order. In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Johnson said: “As to harm, the primary harm caused is the corrosive effect it has on the administration of justice and the ability of courts to deliver justice.” He continued: “The defendant has not shown any remorse for his breaches of the order. It would have been surprising had he done so.” The judge added Robinson had been found to have committed contempt of court on three previous occasions, adding: “All of his actions so far suggest he regards himself as above the law.” Robinson was ordered to serve 18 months, less three days he has spent on remand, having been in custody since Friday. He said that Robinson could only serve 14 months if he “purges” his contempt, such as by removing the film from his X account. When told he could reduce his sentence if he took the film down from his social media account, Robinson shook his head and appeared to say “nah”. On Monday, Aidan Eardley KC, claimed Robinson had breached all the paragraphs of the injunction “at one point or another” through the film, and said in written submissions that Robinson “intended that it should be shared as widely as possible via other channels”. In court, he said it was Robinson’s “declared intention to disobey the order”. He said: “The harm here is that millions of people could see Mr Yaxley-Lennon thumbing his nose at the court.” He added: “This is not a case about Mr Yaxley-Lennon’s political views. “It is not even directly a case about freedom of expression. “It is a case about the disobedience to a court order, and the undermining of the rule of law that goes with that.” Sasha Wass KC, for Robinson, said: “This defendant had been neither sly nor dishonest nor seeking gain for himself.” She continued: “He acted the way that he did, and he accepts his culpability, because he passionately believes in free speech, a free press and the overwhelming desire that he has to expose the truth.” She added: “Having said all of that, he accepts the breaches as set out, but wants me to make it clear on his behalf that at all times he was following his principles and he accepts he will be sentenced for them.” The case comes after he was successfully sued by Mr Hijazi, after the then-schoolboy was assaulted at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in October 2018. After a clip of the incident went viral, Robinson made false claims on Facebook, including about Mr Hijazi attacking girls in his school, leading to the libel case. Mr Justice Nicklin ordered Robinson to pay Mr Hijazi £100,000 in damages and his legal costs, as well as making the injunction preventing Robinson from repeating the allegations he made against the then-teenager.

Published: 28/10/2024 by Radio NewsHub