‘Nobody is Above the Law’: Stephen Yaxley-Lennon AKA Tommy Robinson Jailed for 18 Months

‘Nobody is Above the Law’: Tommy Robinson Jailed for 18 Months After Admitting Contempt of Court

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon AKA Tommy Robinson has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting to 10 breaches of a High Court libel order. The 41-year-old activist appeared at Woolwich Crown Court in south London on Monday after missing a previous hearing, during which he was charged with contempt for repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, handed himself in to police in Folkestone, Kent, on Friday. His actions, which Mr Justice Johnson described as “blatant” and “flagrant” violations of libel restrictions, led the judge to declare, “nobody is above the law.” Citing the severity of the offences, the judge imposed a custodial sentence, ruling out the option of suspension due to Robinson’s history of disregarding court orders.

The case stems from a 2021 High Court order barring Robinson from repeating allegations against a Syrian refugee who had previously won a libel suit against him. Despite the ban, Robinson continued to make these allegations publicly, including during a film shown at a protest in Trafalgar Square.

The hearing on Monday was the culmination of events that date back to October 2018.

That month, a video went viral showing how Jamal Hijazi, a Syrian in West Yorkshire, had been attacked by another teenager at school.

Yaxley-Lennon then posted his own response to one million Facebook followers alleging that his investigation had established that Mr Hijazi was a violent thug, a claim that was untrue.

The Yaxley-Lennon video spread widely and the Syrian teenager and his family received death threats.

Three years later, Mr Hijazi won £100,000 in damages when the High Court ruled the Yaxley-Lennon’s claims against him had amounted to defamation.

The court imposed an injunction on Yaxley-Lennon, banning him from making the false claims again.

In February 2023, Yaxley-Lennon began repeating the claims and went on to post online a film claiming he had been “silenced” by the state.

That film may have been viewed at least 47 million times.

Eventually, this July, Yaxley-Lennon showed the film to thousands of his supporters in Trafalgar Square, saying he would not be silenced. The following day he left the country.

Aidan Eardley KC, for the solicitor general, told the court that Yaxley-Lennon had intended to repeat the false allegations, despite the injunction, and then take “evasive” measures.

“This is a high culpability case because of the high number of breaches,” said Mr Eardley.

“It is a continuing breach, the material is still out there and some of it is under the defendant’s control.”

Sasha Wass KC, for Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said he was a journalist who had been following his principles and was a passionate believer in free speech.

“This defendant has been neither sly nor dishonest nor seeking gain for himself,” she said.

She said that he was such a controversial figure he may be placed in solitary confinement by prison governors, as had occurred the last time he had been jailed, and there was medical evidence he had previously suffered trauma, panic attacks and nightmares.

Jailing Yaxley-Lennon for 18 months, Mr Justice Johnson said: “In a democratic society underpinned by the rule of law, court orders must be obeyed.

During the sentencing, Mr Justice Johnson warned supporters in the courtroom to remain silent as he delivered his remarks, granting Robinson a 10% sentence reduction for his guilty plea. The final sentence amounts to 18 months in prison, after an initial maximum of two years was adjusted.

Robinson’s Monday court appearance related to a separate warrant issued after he failed to attend a hearing in July. The Solicitor General had brought two contempt claims against him, alleging he “knowingly” breached the High Court order multiple times. Robinson’s breaches included showing footage containing allegations against the refugee at public events.

After his arrest on Friday, which coincided with a planned far-right march in central London on Saturday, thousands of supporters gathered on Whitehall, carrying banners demanding his release. Protesters chanted “We want Tommy out” as they marched from Victoria Station to Parliament Square.

Following a prior release on unconditional bail in July, Robinson had left the UK. Adam Payter, representing the Solicitor General, noted there was no restriction preventing his departure. Mr Justice Johnson subsequently issued an arrest warrant in early October, allowing Robinson time to voluntarily return for the hearing. Robinson did return, posting a video of his arrival at Luton Airport on October 20, in which he expressed surprise at not being immediately arrested. His attempt to overturn the warrant was rejected, leading to his detainment.

Those found in contempt of court in the UK face penalties of up to two years in prison, a fine, or both.

The judge said that the contempt of court had been aggravated because the defendant had repeated the claims after the beginning of proceedings against him – and he had not taken steps to stop the false claims continuing to be in circulation.

The sentence could in future be cut by four months if the defendant showed the court that he had taken steps to remove the offending film.

But the judge added: “The defendant has not shown any inclination to comply with the injunction in the future. All of his actions suggest that he regards himself as above the law.”

This case was the fourth contempt case he has faced, having previously received a suspended sentence and a six-month jail term.

Yaxley-Lennon has been separately charged with failing to unlock his phone for police when he was stopped and questioned at a port under counter-terrorism powers. He will next appear in court in relation to that allegation in November.