Tommy Robinson to be Released from Prison Within Days After Sentence Cut
In a significant development, Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is due to be released from prison within days after his 18-month sentence for contempt of court was reduced by four months. According to a report by The Guardian, the high court reduced the sentence for the civil offence, for which Robinson was jailed in October.
The sentence was made up of a 14-month “punitive” element and a four-month “coercive” element, with the sentencing judge, Mr Justice Johnson, telling Robinson that the coercive element could be taken off his sentence if he were to “purge” his contempt by taking steps to comply with the injunction. The injunction was made in 2021 and prevented Robinson from repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee, Jamal Hijazi, who had successfully sued him for libel.
As reported by The Guardian, Robinson had been due for release on 26 July, but he applied to purge his contempt at a hearing on Tuesday, with his lawyers telling the court that he had shown a “commitment” to comply with the order. In a ruling, Johnson said there was an “absence of contrition or remorse” from Robinson, but he had shown a “change in attitude” since he was sentenced.
The Guardian reports that Johnson stated: “[Robinson] has given an assurance that he will comply with the injunction in the future, that he has no intention of breaching it again, and that he is aware of the consequences of what would happen if he breached the injunction again.” Robinson, who appeared via video link from HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, showed no immediate reaction once the judgment was handed down.
Robinson was jailed last year after admitting 10 breaches of the injunction, after the solicitor general issued two contempt claims against him. The injunction came after Robinson was successfully sued by Hijazi, who had been assaulted at Almondbury community school in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in October 2018. Following the incident, Robinson falsely claimed on Facebook that Hijazi had attacked girls at the school. A judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, ordered Robinson to pay Hijazi £100,000 in damages and his legal costs, and made the injunction preventing Robinson from repeating the allegations.
According to The Guardian, the sentencing judge, Johnson, said Robinson could “purge” his contempt by showing “a commitment to comply with the injunction”, which could include steps such as removing Silenced and other publications that breached the injunction from his social media accounts. In March, Robinson lost an attempt to bring a legal challenge against the Ministry of Justice over his segregation in jail from other prisoners. He also lost a challenge to his sentence at the appeal court in April, but three senior judges said he could “still reduce the period he has to spend in custody by taking the steps identified” by Johnson.
The development has significant implications for Robinson, who has been a highly polarising figure in the UK. His release from prison will likely be closely watched by many, and it remains to be seen how he will conduct himself in the future. As The Guardian reports, Robinson’s case has raised important questions about free speech, contempt of court, and the role of social media in modern society.
