Far-Right activist jailed over rant outside court
Live video could have derailed trial
THE founder of the farRight English Defence League has been jailed for 13 months for contempt of court. Tommy Robinson, 35, was arrested after broadcasting on Facebook Live outside a court, putting a major trial at risk of collapse.
He ignored a tight reporting restriction which prevents any reporting of the case until its outcome – likely to be later this year.
Robinson’s video, filmed during an hour-long racist rant outside Leeds Crown Court on Friday, was viewed a quarter of a million times.
He tried to confront defendants as they went in, and made prejudicial remarks in earshot of people entering – potentially including jurors.
Following his arrest, Robinson’s supporters protested outside Downing Street, claiming he was the victim of a conspiracy and had only been exercising his right to freedom of speech.
Yesterday it emerged Robinson had been sentenced to ten months in jail for contempt of court and a further three months for breaching a suspended sentence imposed at Canterbury Crown Court for filming in the building.
Reporting of his imprisonment had also been restricted, but Judge Geoffrey Marson QC yielded to a challenge from the media yesterday.
Sentencing, the judge said: ‘Everyone understands the right to freedom of speech but there are responsibilities and obligations. He was approximate to where defendants go in and approximate to where jurors go in. He was making a video…referring to this case … I regard it as a serious aggravating feature that he was encouraging others to share it.’
He told Robinson: ‘I am not sure you appreciate the potential consequence of what you have done. If the jurors in my present trial get to know of this video…it will mean a re-trial, costing hundreds and hundreds and thousands of pounds.’
Robinson, who pleaded guilty to contempt, appeared under his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
His lawyer Matthew Harding warned the right-wing activist would be in danger of being attacked by other inmates. But the judge said only an immediate jail term could be imposed.
Married father-of-three Robinson founded the English Defence League in Luton in 2009 before resigning from the group in 2013.
Far-Right figures claimed Robinson had been prosecuted for his beliefs, rather than contempt of court.
Gerrard Batten, Ukip leader, said the arrest was reminiscent of a ‘police state’. Dutch anti-Muslim campaigner Geert Wilders tweeted: ‘Free Tommy Robinson! Restore Freedom Of Speech!’