Tommy Robinson Jailed for 18 Months Over Contempt of Court
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been slammed with an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to contempt of court. The sentence follows his flagrant breach of a High Court injunction forbidding him from sharing a defamatory video targeting a Syrian refugee.
Defying Court Order to Smear Syrian Refugee
Robinson’s legal woes began after he spread libellous claims about Jamal Hijazi, a young Syrian refugee bullied at school in Huddersfield. The defamatory video went viral, prompting Hijazi to sue Robinson in 2021. The court ordered Robinson to pay a hefty £100,000 in damages and banned him from repeating the allegations or showing the video again.
Ignoring the injunction, Robinson brazenly showed the banned video at a protest in London’s Trafalgar Square in July 2024. He also pushed the defamatory content on social media and repeated the accusations in multiple interviews between February and June 2023.
‘Thumbing His Nose at the Law’—Court Condemns Defiance
At Woolwich Crown Court, the Solicitor General slammed Robinson’s actions as a “flagrant disregard” for the court’s authority. Robinson admitted to 10 separate breaches of the injunction and surrendered himself at Folkestone police station before being remanded in custody.
Robinson’s contempt went beyond defamation. Authorities initiated further legal action under the Terrorism Act after he refused to hand over his phone access code to police.
Public Backlash and Supporter Protests
His conviction didn’t come without drama. Frantic supporters caused a stir in central London, marching from Victoria Station to Parliament Square demanding his release.
Nick Lowles, CEO of Hope Not Hate, said: “Tommy Robinson thought he was above the law but was finally held accountable. Our team painstakingly documented his repeated contempt, providing an 86-page dossier of evidence to authorities, which led to his conviction.”
This latest jail term marks another turbulent chapter in Robinson’s long history of court clashes and political provocation.
