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| Tommy Robinson loses High Court libel case | Tommy Robinson loses High Court libel case |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, represented himself at the trial at the Royal Courts of Justice | |
| Anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson has lost a High Court libel case brought by a Syrian schoolboy. | Anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson has lost a High Court libel case brought by a Syrian schoolboy. |
| Jamal Hijazi was filmed being attacked in the playground at Almondbury School in Huddersfield in October 2018. | |
| The English Defence League founder, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, claimed Mr Hijazi attacked "young English girls". | The English Defence League founder, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, claimed Mr Hijazi attacked "young English girls". |
| Mr Justice Nicklin ruled in Mr Hijazi's favour and granted him £100,000 in damages. | Mr Justice Nicklin ruled in Mr Hijazi's favour and granted him £100,000 in damages. |
| Shortly after the video of the incident went viral, Mr Robinson claimed in two Facebook videos that the teenager was "not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school". | Shortly after the video of the incident went viral, Mr Robinson claimed in two Facebook videos that the teenager was "not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school". |
| In the clips viewed by nearly one million people, the 38-year-old also claimed Jamal "beat a girl black and blue" and "threatened to stab" another boy at his school, allegations the teenager denies. | In the clips viewed by nearly one million people, the 38-year-old also claimed Jamal "beat a girl black and blue" and "threatened to stab" another boy at his school, allegations the teenager denies. |
| Death threats | |
| During a trial in April, Yaxley-Lennon who represented himself, defended the comments on the basis they were substantially true. | During a trial in April, Yaxley-Lennon who represented himself, defended the comments on the basis they were substantially true. |
| Catrin Evans QC, for Mr Hijazi, previously said that Robinson's comments led to the teenager "facing death threats and extremist agitation" and that he should receive damages of between £150,000 and £190,000. | |
| During the trial, Ms Evans described Mr Robinson as "a well-known extreme-right advocate" with an "anti-Muslim agenda" who used social media to spread his views. | |
| She added that Mr Robinson's videos "turned Jamal into the aggressor and the bully into a righteous white knight". | |
| Mr Robinson maintained he was an independent journalist during the trial, telling the court: "The media simply had zero interest in the other side of this story, the uncomfortable truth." | |
| A hearing will follow the judgment to consider the consequences of the ruling. |