Tommy Robinson 'leaves UK' after skipping High Court hearing
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, addresses the crowd gathered at Trafalgar Square in central London
PA
Tommy Robinson has left the country after committing "flagrant" contempt of court relating to a film played at a protest in central London, the High Court has been told.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was due to appear at the Royal Courts of Justice in London today for a hearing in his latest contempt of court case but was not in attendance.
The Solicitor General launched legal action against Robinson in June over an alleged breach of a court order after he lost a libel battle in 2021.
But Adam Payter, representing the Solicitor General, said it is believed Robinson left the jurisdiction hours after being released on unconditional bail following his arrest over the weekend.
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, addresses the crowd gathered at Trafalgar Square in central London
PA
Justice Johnson issued a warrant for Robinson’s arrest but ordered that it not be carried out “until early October” to allow Robinson time to indicate that he would attend the next hearing voluntarily or to apply to “set aside” the warrant.
Payter said Robinson was arrested following a “large demonstration” in central London, which featured the showing of a film that showed a “flagrant” and “admitted” breach of the court order.
He added that, following the demonstration, Robinson was stopped in Folkestone, Kent, during a port stop and search and arrested by Kent Police under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Payter said: “We understand he failed to co-operate with a port stop and search. The implication is he was attempting to leave the country and therefore was not intending to attend this hearing this morning.”
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Tommy Robinson led the march in London PAIn 2021, Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi successfully sued Robinson after the then-schoolboy was assaulted at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in October 2018.
After a clip of the incident went viral, Robinson made false claims, including about Mr Hijazi attacking girls in his school, leading to the libel case.
Justice Nicklin ordered Robinson to pay Mr Hijazi £100,000 in damages and his legal costs, as well as making an injunction preventing Robinson from repeating the allegations he made against the then-teenager.
Campaign group Hope Not Hate alleged that Robinson had ignored the injunction and repeated the allegations, providing a “dossier of evidence” to the Attorney General’s Office, with the Solicitor General then taking legal action.
Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon
PA
Payter added that Robinson was reminded of Monday’s hearing before being released on unconditional bail at 10pm on Sunday, but that it is now believed he “left the UK last night and there was nothing to prevent him from doing so”.
The court was told Robinson “is not within the jurisdiction of the UK”, with Payter claiming that Robinson had returned to the UK “with the purpose of publishing the film” before leaving the country again “to put himself beyond the reach of this court’s jurisdiction.”
Justice Johnson said he was “entirely satisfied” that the hearing could proceed in Robinson’s absence, telling the court that a further hearing in the case is expected to be held in October.