Tommy Robinson Locked Up in Segregation After 18-Month Sentence
Controversial far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, faces 18 months behind bars—and is set to serve his sentence in segregation for his own safety. The 41-year-old was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court for contempt, breaching a High Court injunction tied to defamatory statements against Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi.
Blatant Court Order Breaches
Robinson admitted violating the 2021 court order ten times. This injunction stopped him from making damaging claims about Hijazi, who had already won a libel case against the activist. The breaches came through Robinson’s film Silenced, funded by Alex Jones’s Infowars, where he repeated the smears.
The court revealed Robinson’s videos flouting the injunction racked up millions of views online—one hit a staggering 44 million. Mr Justice Johnson blasted the violations as “planned, direct, and flagrant,” calling Robinson’s behaviour “sophisticated.” Given Robinson’s consistent defiance, the judge refused to suspend the jail term.
Prison Safety Fears See Robinson Isolated
Security chiefs plan to keep Robinson isolated to protect him from other inmates. This tactic mirrors his 2010 jail stint, where his notoriety posed a serious risk behind bars. Ex-prison governor Ian Acheson labelled Robinson’s incarceration a “real headache,” warning that fellow prisoners, especially extremists, could target him—as either a political martyr or enemy.
Far-Right Fans Rally in London
Thousands of Robinson’s supporters took to central London over the weekend, demanding his release. Demonstrators marched from Victoria Station to Parliament Square, chanting slogans like “We want Tommy out.” Police arrested four people during the protest, charging two with racially aggravated public order offences and assault.
Robinson’s Legal Battles Drag On
Robinson’s troubles date back to 2018, after falsely branding then-15-year-old Hijazi a “violent bully” following a school attack in Huddersfield. The libel lawsuit that followed saw him ordered to pay £100,000 damages and adhere to the court ban on defamatory posts.
His current sentence could be cut by four months if he deletes all defamatory content and shows genuine remorse—a prospect the court dismissed as unlikely. Robinson faces another court appearance on November 13, charged under the Terrorism Act for allegedly refusing to hand over his phone PIN at a UK port in July.
