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| Tommy Robinson faces jail after judges find him in contempt of court | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Tommy Robinson faces jail after being found in contempt of court by High Court judges for filming defendants in a criminal trial and broadcasting the footage on social media. | |
| The former EDL leader faces up to two years in prison in relation to the incident in May 2018, when he filmed defendants accused of the sexual exploitation of young girls and livestreamed the footage, in breach of a reporting ban, outside Leeds crown court. | |
| The court said that his conduct “amounted to serious interference with the administration of justice”. The sentence will be decided at a later date. | |
| Earlier, judges heard that Robinson was reckless and breached a reporting restriction because he wanted the public to see the faces of defendants in a criminal trial. | |
| Lawyers for the attorney general, Geoffrey Cox QC, whose application to have Robinson committed to prison is being heard at the Old Bailey, said the former English Defence League leader’s “whole objective” was to “get the defendants’ faces out there”. | Lawyers for the attorney general, Geoffrey Cox QC, whose application to have Robinson committed to prison is being heard at the Old Bailey, said the former English Defence League leader’s “whole objective” was to “get the defendants’ faces out there”. |
| Outside the court, ripples of anger turned into howls of fury and disbelief as the verdict filtered through. | |
| A small number of his supporters marched purposefully towards the front of the court entrance, to barriers sectioning off police from the public, to make their feelings known. | |
| The crowd, as one, then began chanting “shame on you” and pointed at the court. | |
| Earlier, Andrew Caldecott QC, for the attorney general, told the Old Bailey on Fridaythat a security officer at Leeds crown court said he had suggested Robinson should check at the court office for reporting restrictions. | |
| The barrister said the “critical question” was why Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, “declined the invitation to take this obvious step which would have put the matter beyond doubt”. | The barrister said the “critical question” was why Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, “declined the invitation to take this obvious step which would have put the matter beyond doubt”. |
| He added: “We say the answer clearly is that he made a reckless assumption as to what he might be able to do because it suited him to do so, and the reason it suited him to do so was that his whole objective was to get the defendants’ faces out there.” | He added: “We say the answer clearly is that he made a reckless assumption as to what he might be able to do because it suited him to do so, and the reason it suited him to do so was that his whole objective was to get the defendants’ faces out there.” |
| Caldecott told Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Warby, who are hearing the case, Robinson had taken a gamble by referring to details in previous reports of the Huddersfield grooming case, which had been published before the reporting ban was ordered. | Caldecott told Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Warby, who are hearing the case, Robinson had taken a gamble by referring to details in previous reports of the Huddersfield grooming case, which had been published before the reporting ban was ordered. |
| He said: “Mr Yaxley-Lennon did find the Huddersfield Examiner online and he took a punt that because the names and the charges had been out there earlier, he took a punt on being able to get away with mentioning them to give necessary context to the people he was filming.” | He said: “Mr Yaxley-Lennon did find the Huddersfield Examiner online and he took a punt that because the names and the charges had been out there earlier, he took a punt on being able to get away with mentioning them to give necessary context to the people he was filming.” |
| Robinson, who denied any wrongdoing, has said he did not believe he was breaching reporting restrictions and that he only referred to information that was already in the public domain. | |
| Wearing a blue jacket, blue shirt and jeans, he sat next to his lawyers in court as Caldecott summarised the attorney general’s case. | Wearing a blue jacket, blue shirt and jeans, he sat next to his lawyers in court as Caldecott summarised the attorney general’s case. |
| Robinson broadcast the footage on 25 May 2018 while the jury in the second grooming trial was considering its verdict. | Robinson broadcast the footage on 25 May 2018 while the jury in the second grooming trial was considering its verdict. |
| A reporting restriction was in place which postponed the publication of any details of the case until the end of a series of linked trials involving 29 people, in an attempt to ensure all defendants received a fair trial. | A reporting restriction was in place which postponed the publication of any details of the case until the end of a series of linked trials involving 29 people, in an attempt to ensure all defendants received a fair trial. |
| Robinson, 36, from Luton, Bedfordshire, was arrested, charged and sentenced to 13 months on the day of the broadcast after being found in contempt of court. | Robinson, 36, from Luton, Bedfordshire, was arrested, charged and sentenced to 13 months on the day of the broadcast after being found in contempt of court. |
| The video lasted an hour and a half and was viewed online 250,000 times after being livestreamed on Facebook. | The video lasted an hour and a half and was viewed online 250,000 times after being livestreamed on Facebook. |
| He served two months in jail before being freed after the court of appeal overturned the finding of contempt in August 2018. | He served two months in jail before being freed after the court of appeal overturned the finding of contempt in August 2018. |
| The case was then referred back to the attorney general, who announced in March that it was in the public interest to bring fresh proceedings against Robinson. | The case was then referred back to the attorney general, who announced in March that it was in the public interest to bring fresh proceedings against Robinson. |
| Sharp and Warby gave permission for the attorney general to bring a new case against Robinson at a hearing in May. | |
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