Tommy Robinson Jailed for 18 Months After Admitting Contempt of Court

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, addresses the crowd gathered at Trafalgar Square in central London, England, on July 27, 2024. Maja Smiejkowska/PA Wire

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting to contempt of court charges.

The political activist had admitted to repeating false allegations against Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi, in breach of an injunction.

Judge Mr. Justice Johnson sentenced Robinson, 41, at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, saying the breaches were not “accidental, negligent or merely reckless” and that the “custodial threshold is amply crossed.”

Lawyers for the Solicitor General said Robinson had been “thumbing his nose at the court” and undermining the rule of law, including by releasing a film called “Silenced” which contained the libellous allegations.

Barristers for Robinson said it was his “principles that have brought him before the court.”

‘Flagrant Breach’

Hijazi was a schoolboy when he was assaulted at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in October 2018. After footage of the assault went viral on social media, Robinson made false claims on Facebook.

The Syrian refugee successfully sued Robinson in 2021 for libel over his claims, and the political activist was ordered to pay Hijazi £100,000 in damages and legal costs. The judge at the time also made an injunction preventing Robinson from repeating those allegations.

Passing judgment on Monday, Johnson told Robinson that his actions were a “planned, deliberate, direct, flagrant breach of the court’s orders.”

“Nobody is above the law. Nobody can pick and choose which injunctions they obey and those they do not,” Johnson said.

The Solicitor General had issued the first contempt claim in June, saying Robinson had breached the order on four occasions, including by having published “Silenced” in May 2023.

The second contempt claim was issued in August concerning six other breaches, including playing the film at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square, London, earlier this year.

‘Disobedience to a Court Order’

Aidan Eardley, KC, claimed on Monday that it was Robinson’s “declared intention to disobey the order.”

Eardley said, “The harm here is that millions of people could see Mr. Yaxley-Lennon thumbing his nose at the court.”

He added that this was not a case about Robinson’s political views or freedom of expression, but “it is a case about the disobedience to a court order, and the undermining of the rule of law that goes with that.”

Defending Robinson, Sasha Wass, KC, had said her client “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.”

“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,” Wass added.

“Silenced” remains a pinned post at the top of Robinson’s profile on the social media platform X.

Robinson was ordered to serve 18 months, less the three days he spent on remand after being in custody since Friday. The judge said that the activist could serve only 14 months if he “purges” his contempt, such as by deleting his video from X.

When told he could reduce his sentence by deleting the post, Robinson shook his head and appeared to say “nah.”

PA Media contributed to this report.