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| Tommy Robinson freed on bail after court quashes conviction | Tommy Robinson freed on bail after court quashes conviction |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Tommy Robinson, the founder of the English Defence League, is to be freed from prison after the court of appeal ordered that he should be retried on a contempt of court charge. | |
| He has been held at Onley prison near Rugby after being jailed for 13 months following convictions in Leeds and Canterbury for breaching reporting restrictions. | He has been held at Onley prison near Rugby after being jailed for 13 months following convictions in Leeds and Canterbury for breaching reporting restrictions. |
| At the court of appeal on Wednesday, the lord chief justice, Lord Burnett of Maldon, upheld the Canterbury conviction but said there should be a retrial for the Leeds case. | At the court of appeal on Wednesday, the lord chief justice, Lord Burnett of Maldon, upheld the Canterbury conviction but said there should be a retrial for the Leeds case. |
| Robinson, the appeal court said, would be released on bail on condition that he attend the retrial before the recorder of London at a date to be fixed. | |
| In the ruling, the lord chief justice said the Leeds finding of contempt had been “flawed”. That court should not have proceeded immediately but waited to hear otherwise case on a “fully informed basis”, he said. | |
| The judgment added: “It was unclear what conduct was said to comprise a breach of that order and the appellant was sentenced on the basis of conduct which fell outside the scope of that order.” | |
| Robinson was also ordered to stay away from Leeds crown court while on bail and not approach closer than 400 metres to the building. | |
| The judges had been urged to overturn contempt of court findings against Robinson, 35, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon. | The judges had been urged to overturn contempt of court findings against Robinson, 35, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon. |
| At a hearing in July, his QC, Jeremy Dein, argued that procedural “deficiencies” had given rise to “prejudice”. | At a hearing in July, his QC, Jeremy Dein, argued that procedural “deficiencies” had given rise to “prejudice”. |
| Dein also submitted that the sentence was “manifestly excessive” and that insufficient regard had been given to personal mitigation. | Dein also submitted that the sentence was “manifestly excessive” and that insufficient regard had been given to personal mitigation. |
| Robinson was jailed in May after he filmed people involved in a criminal trial and broadcast the footage on social media. The footage, lasting about an hour, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted on Facebook. | Robinson was jailed in May after he filmed people involved in a criminal trial and broadcast the footage on social media. The footage, lasting about an hour, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted on Facebook. |
| The far-right activist was given 10 months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for breaching a previous suspended sentence. | The far-right activist was given 10 months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for breaching a previous suspended sentence. |
| Robinson was detained outside Leeds crown court after using social media to broadcast details of a trial that was subject to blanket reporting restrictions. | |
| Jailing him, Judge Geoffrey Marson told Robinson it was a “serious aggravating feature” that he was encouraging others to share it and it had been shared widely. | Jailing him, Judge Geoffrey Marson told Robinson it was a “serious aggravating feature” that he was encouraging others to share it and it had been shared widely. |
| He added: “Everyone understands the right to freedom of speech but there are responsibilities and obligations. I am not sure you appreciate the potential consequence of what you have done. People have to understand that if they breach court orders there will be very real consequences.” | He added: “Everyone understands the right to freedom of speech but there are responsibilities and obligations. I am not sure you appreciate the potential consequence of what you have done. People have to understand that if they breach court orders there will be very real consequences.” |
| It was the second time Robinson had breached court orders, having narrowly avoided jail in May last year over footage he filmed during the trial of four men who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl. | It was the second time Robinson had breached court orders, having narrowly avoided jail in May last year over footage he filmed during the trial of four men who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl. |
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