Tommy Robinson jailed for 18 months over Syrian refugee contempt of court

has been jailed for 18 months after by repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee, in breach of an injunction.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, looked up at dozens of his supporters in the dock and shrugged his shoulders as the judge handed down the sentence. The 41-year-old appeared at Woolwich earlier today and admitted breaching the order made in 2021, barring him from repeating libellous allegations against the refugee, who successfully sued him.

The admission came after the , which contains the libellous allegations, at a in Trafalgar Square in July. The Solicitor General who issued two contempt claims against Robinson earlier this year said he "knowingly" breached the order on multiple occasions.

Lawyers for the Solicitor General claimed Robinson had been “thumbing his nose at the court” and “undermining” the rule of law.

Barristers for Robinson, who wore a grey suit and white shirt as he stood with his hands on the edge of the dock, said it was his “principles that have brought him before the court”.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Johnson said the breaches of the injunction were not “accidental, negligent or merely reckless” and that the “custodial threshold is amply crossed”. He said: “It was a planned, deliberate, direct, flagrant breach of the court’s orders.”

He continued: “Nobody is above the law. Nobody can pick and choose which injunctions they obey and those they do not. It is in the interests of the whole community that injunctions are obeyed.”

Robinson also attended Folkestone police station on Friday where he was remanded into custody and separately charged under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for with failing to provide a pin for police to access his mobile phone.

Thousands of Robinson's supporters gathered in central London on Saturday to protest his arrest and UK immigration policies. Robinson missed the march after he was remanded.

Demonstrators were captured marching through the streets waving placards that read "Two tier Keir fuelled the riots", and chanted "We want Tommy out" as they headed from Victoria station to Parliament Square.

Robinson was released on unconditional bail in July and subsequently left the country, with Adam Payter, representing the Solicitor General, telling the High Court there "was nothing to prevent him from doing so."

Mr 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.

The far-right activist posted a video of himself arriving at Luton Airport on October 20 and said he was surprised he had not been arrested. He applied to set aside the warrant but his application was dismissed by Mr Justice Johnson on Friday.