Tommy Robinson Trial: 'Bully-boy' Tactics Accused in Harassment Case

Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, employed ‘bully-boy, intimidatory tactics’ against two journalists from the Daily Mail, prosecutors stated in court on Monday. The activist faces two charges of harassment causing fear of violence, which he denies.

During the opening of a five-day trial at Southwark Crown Court, prosecutor Ben Holt told the jury that Lennon, 43, allegedly targeted the journalists in response to what he perceived as an intrusion into his holiday. The prosecution claims Lennon intimidated the journalists by arranging for individuals to visit their homes and by circulating images of their homes to his millions of social media followers. Holt stated that supporters of Robinson became involved, threatening the journalists, who reportedly feared for their safety and were, in some instances, forced to leave their homes.

The alleged actions date back to the summer of 2024, a period marked by unrest across England following the Southport tragedy. According to the prosecution, while anti-immigrant protests were occurring, Lennon posted from his holiday in Cyprus. A Daily Mail reporter and photographer had traveled to Cyprus, where they photographed Lennon. The court was shown the Daily Mail’s front page from August 5, which featured Lennon with the headline: ‘Stoking race riots from his sunbed.’

Holt emphasized that the trial was not about the Daily Mail's editorial decisions or public opinion of the newspaper, but rather about Lennon's reaction to the journalists he believed had intruded upon his holiday. The prosecutor noted that Lennon did not file a complaint with the independent Press regulator, IPSO, but instead allegedly sent photographers to the journalists' home addresses.

Prosecutors allege that Lennon sent one journalist a message stating, ‘I’ll be knocking on your door.’ Following a social media post by a supporter showing one journalist outside their home, Lennon allegedly reposted it with the caption ‘Got ya’ and added, ‘I got all three of you tagged & bagged in 1 day.’ The court heard that Lennon allegedly phoned another journalist, swearing and shouting, and claiming to have researched the journalist's family. The prosecutor described Lennon as becoming 'increasingly menacing' during this call, with the journalist believing Lennon said, ‘I’m coming to get you.’ Lennon repeatedly questioned the journalist about 'doxxing' his children by revealing his holiday location.

He also allegedly left a voicemail on the mobile phone of the Daily Mail's editor, stating, ‘I’ve already located every f***ing one of you.’

Lennon, who appeared in court wearing a blue checked waistcoat and white shirt, reportedly answered ‘no comment’ to all questions during his initial police interview on December 9, 2024. Two days later, in a second interview, he provided a prepared statement. In this statement, he claimed the Daily Mail article identified his hotel in Cyprus, leading to him being ‘suddenly overrun with news crews taking photos and filming my children,’ who he said were left ‘scared and upset.’ Jurors were informed that no identifiable pictures of Lennon’s children were published by the Daily Mail.

The defense's position, as presented by the prosecution, is that Lennon's family was endangered by the Daily Mail's actions and that his conduct was reasonable in an effort to protect them.

The trial judge, Mr. Justice Cavanagh, instructed the jury that Lennon is a 'prominent activist and commentator' and cautioned them to set aside any personal opinions about him or his views. He stated, 'This is not a trial about, or an assessment of, the defendant's political views.'