UK anti-Islam figure ‘Tommy Robinson’ fails to overturn 18-month jail term

British anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon on Wednesday lost his appeal against his 18-month sentence after he previously admitted contempt of court for repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee.

Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, was jailed in October after he admitted contempt of court by breaching an injunction banning him from repeating the allegations against Jamal Hijazi, who successfully sued him for libel.

In a ruling on Wednesday, three judges at London's Court of Appeal dismissed Yaxley-Lennon's appeal.

They said that a previous judge's "application of the law and his reasoning on the appropriate sanction in this case both exhibit a meticulous approach".

Britain's Solicitor General took legal action against Yaxley-Lennon over comments in online interviews and a documentary titled 'Silenced', which has been viewed millions of times and was played in London's Trafalgar Square in July.

Last month, the 42-year-old self-styled journalist was refused permission to bring a legal challenge over the decision to keep him in segregation at Woodhill Prison in central England.

Yaxley-Lennon, who counts US billionaire Elon Musk among his supporters, was accused by some media and politicians of inflaming tensions which led to days of rioting across Britain in late July after the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport.

Yaxley-Lennon's social media account said in January that the US billionaire was paying some of his legal fees, though Musk has not confirmed this.

Yaxley-Lennon was sued for libel at London’s High Court by Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi and in 2021 was ordered to pay damages. He was also made subject to an injunction preventing him from repeating the libellous statements.

Yaxley-Lennon appeared at London’s Woolwich Crown Court and admitted breaching the injunction. Britain’s Solicitor General took legal action against Yaxley-Lennon over comments in online interviews and a documentary titled ‘Silenced’, which has been viewed millions of times and was played in London’s Trafalgar Square in July.

Aidan Eardley, a lawyer representing the Solicitor General, said Yaxley-Lennon had been found in contempt on three separate occasions and was jailed for it in 2019. He also has separate criminal convictions.

Yaxley-Lennon’s lawyer Sasha Wass said: “He acted in the way that he did, and he accepts his culpability, because he passionately believes in free speech, a free press and the overwhelming desire that he has to expose the truth.”

Wass also said that ‘Silenced’ had been “effectively commissioned” through US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Infowars company.

Judge Jeremy Johnson sentenced Yaxley-Lennon to 18 months, less three days spent in custody after he was arrested on Friday.

The judge said that four months could be removed from Yaxley-Lennon’s 18-month sentence if he tried to “purge” his contempt, including by taking down copies of ‘Silenced’.

Yaxley-Lennon was accused by some media and politicians of inflaming tensions which led to days of rioting across Britain at the end of July in the wake of the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport.