UK far-right leader Tommy Robinson jailed for contempt

Tommy Robinson, a prominent far-right activist in Britain, has been jailed for 13 months for potentially derailing a major trial.

Tommy Robinson has been jailed for 13 months. Picture: AP.

Tommy Robinson, a prominent far-right activist in Britain, has been jailed for 13 months for potentially derailing a major trial after live-streaming outside the court in violation of reporting restrictions.

Robinson, 35, was arrested on Friday at Leeds Crown Court in northern England, where he was broadcasting details of the long running trial on Facebook. It was viewed 250,000 times.

Judge Geoffrey Marson told Robinson that his actions could be “highly prejudicial to the defendants in the trial.” He said Robinson had broadcast details of the defendants and the charges they face, including some wrong information

Robinson was earlier convicted of contempt of court in May 2017 for broadcasting at a rape trial and given a three-month suspended sentence. The judge in that case told him that he would be imprisoned if he committed “a further contempt of court by similar actions.”

He pleaded guilty on Friday to contempt of court and breaching the terms of his suspended sentence.

A strict order remains in place that temporarily bans publication or broadcasting details of the case or anyone involved. At the time of the incident a jury was considering its verdicts after a six-week trial.

The judge in Leeds imposed a reporting restriction on Robinson’s latest conviction, but it was successfully challenged by media outlets.

Robinson, (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), is founder of the now-defunct English Defence League and helped to develop Pegida UK, an anti-Islam protest movement.

A self-styled journalist and commentator he regularly issues anti-Muslim statements online.

His lawyer, Matthew Harding, said Robinson felt “deep regret” after realising the potential consequences of his actions and added: “I have to be realistic in relation to the submission that what he did was provocative in challenging individuals.”

Robinson has a criminal record dating back to 2005, when he was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He also has convictions for possessing drugs, threatening behaviour, disobeying a court order, possessing identity documents with intent and fraud.

A married father of three, he founded the English Defence League in Luton in 2009 before resigning in 2013.

With AP