Tommy Robinson used bully-boy tactics to intimidate journalists, court told
The far-right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of harassing two MailOnline reporters after an intrusion into a holiday in Cyprus. He denies two counts of harassment causing fear of violence.
Tommy Robinson used «bully-boy, intimidatory tactics» to threaten two journalists and make them fear for their safety, a court has heard at the opening of his harassment trial. The far-right activist, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is charged with two counts of harassment causing fear of violence against Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber, both reporters for MailOnline. He denies all charges.
The prosecution case centres on the aftermath of what Robinson regarded as an unnecessary intrusion into one of his holidays in Cyprus. Jurors at Southwark Crown Court were told that his response to the perceived intrusion amounted to a campaign of intimidation directed at the reporters rather than a legitimate exercise of his right to object to press coverage.
Robinson has built a substantial public profile as a political activist, and the trial turns in part on the boundary between robust criticism of the media and conduct that crosses into harassment. The allegation is not that he simply complained about being photographed or written about, but that his conduct was designed to frighten the journalists involved and to deter them from carrying out their work.
The two complainants are named in the charges as Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber. The court heard that the alleged harassment caused them to fear violence, a threshold that distinguishes the offence from ordinary disputes about privacy or press behaviour. Robinson entered not guilty pleas to both counts and the trial is expected to examine the sequence of events that followed the Cyprus holiday.
The case has drawn wider attention because of Robinson's prominence in far-right circles and his history of confrontations with the press. Supporters have portrayed him as a target of media hostility, while critics argue that his methods have repeatedly placed journalists and others under pressure. The jury will be asked to decide the narrow legal question of whether the two reporters were harassed in a manner that caused fear of violence, rather than to pass judgment on his political views.
Proceedings at Southwark Crown Court are continuing, with the prosecution setting out its account of the alleged intimidation before the defence presents its case. Robinson remains on trial and is presumed innocent unless and until the charges are proved.
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