Tommy Robinson will be released in prison next week after he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for tempting a court civil offence and was sentenced to four months in the High Court today.
Robinson, whose name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, admitted multiple violations of the ban set in 2021, prohibiting him from repeatedly targeting false allegations that successfully prosecuted him for defamation of Syrian refugees.
The sentence included 14 months of “punitive” factors and a four-month “mandatory” factor, and sentencing judge Judge Johnson told Robinson that he could be sentenced if he was to take compliance with the injunction to “reject” his contempt.
Robinson, who was previously scheduled to be released on July 26, applied for contempt at a hearing today, and his lawyer told the court that he showed a “commitment” to comply with the order.
Attorney General’s attorney said they agreed that Robinson had taken steps to comply with the injunction.
Judge Johnson said in a ruling, Robinson said he showed a “change of attitude” since he was sentenced.
“He (Robinson) promised that he would comply with the injunction in the future, he had no intention of violating it again, and he realized what would happen if he violated the injunction again,” he said.
He continued: “I think the grant application is appropriate.”
Tommy Robinson’s real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon
He added: “If the prison authorities confirm that the actual effect is that once he completes the punitive element, the defendant will be released, and I know this will be within next week.”
Robinson participated in the Milton Keynes video link through HMP Woodhill’s video link and once the verdict was made, he would not react immediately.
He was sentenced to jail last year to 10 times for breaching the injunction after a lawyer general filed two claims for contempt.
The first allegedly he “intentionally” violated the order four times, including in a film published in May 2023 in “Silends”, causing, authorized or procured.
The film was nailed to the top of Robinson on social media site X, and he also repeated these claims in three interviews between February and June 2023.
The second claim, released last August, involved six violations, including the film being played last summer at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in central London.
Justice Johnson sentenced the sentence at Woolwich Crown Court, saying Robinson could “clear” his contempt by showing “a commitment to comply with the injunction.”
Robinson participated in Milton Keynes’ video link (file image) through HMP Woodhill’s video link
After being imprisoned, Robinson posed a legal challenge to the Justice Department’s quarantine due to his March isolation from other prisoners.
He then lost the challenge in the Court of Appeal in April, but three senior judges said he could reduce the time he had to spend by taking steps that Justice Johnson determined.
Robinson barrister Alex Di Francesco told the court today that several publications that constituted a violation of the injunction have been “deleted.”
“The defendant has proved the commitment your noble needs, whether in his words or his actions,” he said.
Wolvech Crown Court drew a painting by a court artist at Wolvech Crown Court on October 28, 2024
He continued: “Everyone acknowledged that violations that could be cleared have been taken and have completely resulted in dismissal.”
Deputy Attorney General Adam Payter said a review has been conducted to assess compliance with the ban.
He told the court that the deputy attorney general “agrees that the material has been removed from all two online locations”.
He added that Robinson has taken steps to remove the publication from two locations that are still visible.
Tommy Robinson supporters at protests in London on February 1, 2025
The ban comes after Jamal Hijazi, an then-college boy, successfully sued Robinson in October 2018 at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
After the clips of the incident spread, Robinson made false claims on Facebook, including an attack on Hijaz’s attack on girls in school, leading to a defamation case.
Justice Nicklin ordered Robinson to pay Mr Hijaz £100,000 in damages and legal compensation and to enact an injunction to prevent Robinson from repeating the charges.
Judge Johnson said today that if Robinson violates the ban again in the future, he could be sentenced to up to two years.
