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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/sep/27/tommy-robinson-to-appear-at-old-bailey-for-fresh-contempt-of-court-hearing
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| Tommy Robinson contempt of court case adjourned at Old Bailey | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A contempt of court case against the far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been adjourned at the Old Bailey after a brief hearing. | |
| The recorder of London, Nicholas Hilliard QC, adjourned the case, saying he would receive written submissions before making a ruling at a later date. The recorder’s ruling will determine whether there will be a substantive hearing at the Old Bailey into the alleged contempt of court. | |
| Robinson, wearing jeans, black trainers, and a grey checked jacket, sat behind his barrister, Richard Furlong, in court. He was referred to by his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, throughout the brief hearing. | |
| Earlier, more than 150 supporters of Robinson chanted his name as he arrived at the Old Bailey for a rerun of his contempt of court hearing on Thursday morning. | |
| Carrying union jacks, St George’s cross flags and placards reading “free Tommy”, they outnumbered a 30-strong counter-protest organised by antifascist groups. | |
| The 35-year-old founder of the English Defence League was released from prison last month after three leading judges quashed a finding of contempt of court made at Leeds crown court in May, and granted him conditional bail from a 13-month jail sentence. | The 35-year-old founder of the English Defence League was released from prison last month after three leading judges quashed a finding of contempt of court made at Leeds crown court in May, and granted him conditional bail from a 13-month jail sentence. |
| The case centres on an allegation that he breached reporting restrictions on a trial at Leeds crown court by confronting defendants while streaming live on Facebook. | |
| Robinson said he expected to be jailed for two years and that he was “being prosecuted because I’m Tommy Robinson, nothing else”. | |
| In a live stream on Facebook he encouraged supporters to demonstrate outside the Old Bailey and said it was “judgment day for the British government” and that “the world is watching”. | In a live stream on Facebook he encouraged supporters to demonstrate outside the Old Bailey and said it was “judgment day for the British government” and that “the world is watching”. |
| Robinson said he had been advised by lawyers to apologise and plead guilty. “If I don’t do that – which, I’m not going to do that – then I will be going to prison … I’m going to stand on my convictions,” he said. | Robinson said he had been advised by lawyers to apologise and plead guilty. “If I don’t do that – which, I’m not going to do that – then I will be going to prison … I’m going to stand on my convictions,” he said. |
| A number of pubs around the Old Bailey told the Guardian they would be closed following police advice. A spokesman for the City of London police said businesses had been advised to take precautions, including using plastic rather than glass to serve drinks, but this stopped short of recommending that they close. | A number of pubs around the Old Bailey told the Guardian they would be closed following police advice. A spokesman for the City of London police said businesses had been advised to take precautions, including using plastic rather than glass to serve drinks, but this stopped short of recommending that they close. |
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