Tommy Robinson jailed for 18 months for repeating false claims about refugee

ITV News Correspondent Geraint Vincent reports from Woolwich Crown Court where activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, was sentenced to 18 months in prison

Tommy Robinson has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee, in breach of an injunction.

The political activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, admitted ten breaches of a High Court order made in 2021 at the start of a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday.

Lawyers for the Solicitor General claimed the 41-year-old's actions had "undermined" the law, including by publishing a film called Silenced, which contains the libellous allegations against the refugee.

Barristers for Robinson, who wore a grey suit and white shirt, said it was his “principles that have brought him before the court”.

While sentencing him, the judge said the breaches of the injunction were not “accidental, negligent or merely reckless” and that the “custodial threshold is amply crossed”.

The judge went on to say Robinson's actions had been "planned" and "deliberate".

Robinson stood with his hands on the edge of the dock and looked up at dozens of supporters, shrugging his shoulders, as the judge handed down the sentence. He saluted the public gallery and pumped his chest as he left the dock.

His supporters packed the public gallery and stood outside the court on Monday, with some in court waving and blowing kisses as he was led from the dock.

An injunction had originally been made after schoolboy Jamal Hijazi successfully sued Robinson for libel. The court order banned Robinson from repeating false allegations about him.

The Solicitor General issued the first contempt claim against Robinson in June. It argued he had knowingly breached the injunction on four occasions, including through his film Silenced - which remains pinned to the top of Robinson’s profile on social media site X.

Robinson also repeated the libellous claims about Hijazi in three interviews between February and June 2023.

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

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The judge added Robinson had been found to have committed contempt of court on three previous occasions, adding: “All of his actions so far suggest he regards himself as above the law.”

Robinson could only serve 14 months if he “purges” his contempt, such as by removing the film from his X account, the judge added. When told this, Robinson shook his head and appeared to say “nah”.

Robinson's false claims about Mr Hijazi began after a video of the schoolboy being assaulted in 2018 at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, went viral.

The libel case arose after Robinson began making false claims Mr Hijazi had attacked girls in his school.

Mr Justice Nicklin ordered Robinson to pay Mr Hijazi £100,000 in damages and his legal costs, as well as making the injunction preventing Robinson from repeating the allegations he made against the then-teenager.

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