Tommy Robinson's Legal Troubles: What Law Was Broken?

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been jailed for 18 months for contempt of court. Robinson admitted to 10 breaches of a High Court order made in 2021, by repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee. The breaches were not accidental, negligent or merely reckless, according to the judge, who also said that Robinson's actions suggested he regarded himself as above the law. Robinson has previously served prison sentences for assault, mortgage fraud and contempt of court.

Tommy Robinson's libel of a Syrian refugee

In 2018, a video went viral showing a Syrian refugee, Jamal Hijazi, being attacked by another teenager at his school in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Following this, far-right activist Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) posted Facebook videos alleging that Hijazi was "not innocent" and had "violently attack [ed] young English girls in his school". Robinson also claimed that Hijazi had "beat [en] a girl black and blue" and "threatened to stab" another boy, which Hijazi denied. Robinson's videos were viewed by nearly one million people and led to Hijazi receiving death threats.

In 2021, Robinson lost a libel case brought against him by Hijazi. Mr Justice Matthew Nicklin ruled that Robinson's false claims had caused "particularly severe" consequences for Hijazi and awarded him £100,000 in damages, as well as legal costs of around £500,000. The judge also granted an injunction against Robinson, preventing him from repeating the allegations.

Despite the injunction, Robinson began repeating the claims again in February 2023, including in a film titled 'Silenced', which was viewed tens of millions of times. In July 2024, Robinson showed the film to thousands of his supporters during a rally in London's Trafalgar Square. As a result of these actions, Robinson was found to be in contempt of court and, in October 2024, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

In summary, Tommy Robinson libelled a Syrian refugee, Jamal Hijazi, by making false claims about him in Facebook videos. This led to Hijazi receiving death threats and being forced to move home and abandon his education. Robinson lost a libel case brought by Hijazi and was ordered to pay damages and legal costs. Despite an injunction being put in place, Robinson repeated the claims, resulting in him being found in contempt of court and jailed for 18 months.

Robinson's conviction for contempt of court

Tommy Robinson, the pseudonym of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was convicted of contempt of court for violating a 2021 injunction that barred him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee, Jamal Hijazi. Robinson admitted to 10 breaches of the High Court order, which he made in interviews, a documentary, and a rally in London's Trafalgar Square in July 2023.

The case dates back to October 2018 when a video went viral, showing Hijazi, a Syrian refugee in West Yorkshire, being attacked by another teenager at school. Robinson then posted a response on Facebook, alleging that his investigation found Hijazi to be a violent thug, which was untrue. Robinson's video spread widely, and Hijazi and his family received death threats.

In 2021, Hijazi won £100,000 in damages when the High Court ruled that Yaxley-Lennon's claims against him amounted to defamation, and an injunction was imposed on Yaxley-Lennon, banning him from making the false claims again. However, Yaxley-Lennon began repeating the allegations in February 2023 and posted an online film, 'Silenced', claiming he had been "silenced" by the state. This film was viewed at least 47 million times and was shown to thousands of his supporters at the Trafalgar Square rally.

At the hearing for contempt of court, Robinson admitted to the 10 breaches of the High Court order and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The judge, Mr Justice Johnson, stated that Robinson's breaches were not "accidental, negligent or merely reckless" but a planned, deliberate, direct, flagrant breach of the court orders. Robinson was also ordered to pay costs of £80,350.82 and was told that four months could be cut from his sentence if he removed the offending film.

Robinson's violation of a court injunction

Tommy Robinson, the pseudonym of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is a British anti-Islam campaigner and one of the UK's most prominent far-right activists. In 2024, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court, specifically for violating a court injunction.

Robinson's violation of the court injunction centred on his repeated libel of a Syrian refugee, Jamal Hijazi. In October 2018, a video went viral showing Hijazi, a Syrian refugee in West Yorkshire, being attacked by another teenager at school. Robinson then posted a response on Facebook, alleging that his investigation had found Hijazi to be a violent thug. These claims were untrue and led to Hijazi and his family receiving death threats.

In 2021, Hijazi sued Robinson for libel and was awarded £100,000 in damages by the High Court. The court also imposed an injunction on Robinson, banning him from repeating the false claims. Despite this, Robinson began repeating the allegations again in February 2023 and posted an online film titled 'Silenced', claiming he had been silenced by the state. This film was viewed at least 47 million times and was shown to thousands of his supporters in London's Trafalgar Square in July 2023.

Robinson's actions were in direct violation of the court injunction, and he was found to have committed 10 breaches of the High Court order. In October 2024, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court. The judge, Mr Justice Johnson, stated that Robinson's breaches were not "accidental, negligent or merely reckless" and emphasised that “nobody is above the law”. Robinson's sentence could be reduced by four months if he took steps to remove the offending film.

Robinson's sentence to 18 months in prison

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court. Robinson is a British anti-Islam campaigner and one of the UK's most prominent far-right activists. He is the founder of the far-right English Defence League (EDL) and has been active in far-right politics for many years.

Robinson's sentence stems from his violation of a court order barring him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee, Jamal Hijazi. In 2018, Robinson falsely claimed in Facebook videos that Hijazi was "not innocent" and had "violently attack [ed] young English girls in his school". These allegations were repeated in various interviews and a self-produced film titled 'Silenced', which was viewed by millions.

Despite a 2021 injunction prohibiting Robinson from repeating these claims, he continued to do so, leading to his conviction for contempt of court. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Mr Justice Johnson emphasised the deliberate and flagrant nature of Robinson's breaches, stating that they were not "accidental, negligent or merely reckless". Robinson's actions were deemed to undermine the rule of law and the administration of justice.

Robinson's sentence of 18 months in prison reflects the seriousness of his contempt, with the judge noting that he showed no remorse and had a history of disregarding court orders. The sentence also sends a clear message that "nobody is above the law" and that court orders must be obeyed.

Robinson's history of legal issues

Tommy Robinson, the pseudonym of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has a history of legal issues. He has been described as a far-right activist and anti-Islam campaigner. He has served multiple prison sentences for various offences, including assault, mortgage fraud, contempt of court, and breaching court orders.

Robinson's legal issues date back to at least 2005, when he served a 12-month prison sentence for assaulting an off-duty police officer. In 2011, he was convicted of common assault and sentenced to 12 weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. In the same year, he was also convicted of using "threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour" during a football brawl and sentenced to a 12-month community order.

In 2012, Robinson was arrested for illegally entering the United States using a friend's passport and was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment in 2013. He was released on an electronic tag in February 2013.

Robinson's association with the far-right English Defence League (EDL), which he co-founded in 2009, has also led to legal troubles. In 2011, he was arrested for breach of bail conditions during an EDL demonstration and later began a hunger strike while in prison, claiming to be a "political prisoner of the state".

In 2018, Robinson was jailed for contempt of court after filming inside a courtroom and posting prejudicial statements about the defendants. This was not an isolated incident, as he was again jailed in 2019 for breaching reporting restrictions outside Leeds Crown Court during the trial of the Huddersfield grooming gang.

Most recently, in October 2024, Robinson was sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court by violating an injunction barring him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee, Jamal Hijazi. He admitted to 10 breaches of a High Court order made in 2021 and was ordered to pay £80,350.82 in costs.

Robinson has also faced other legal issues, including a stalking ban for harassing a journalist, Lizzie Dearden, and her partner, as well as various disputes related to his social media activity and posts.

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