British activist Tommy Robinson has been convicted of two counts of harassment causing fear of violence after hiring private investigators to locate journalists who published reports about him during the 2024 Southport riots.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
LONDON — British anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson faces up to 10 years in prison after a London jury convicted him Wednesday of harassing two Daily Mail journalists following the newspaper’s coverage of his activities during nationwide unrest in August 2024.
Robinson, 43, whose legal name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Oct. 28 of two counts of harassment causing fear of violence against investigative reporter Andrew Young and editor Jacob Dirnhuber.
The jury returned guilty verdicts by a 10-2 majority after deliberating for approximately 11 hours and 25 minutes. Robinson, who denied both charges, was released on bail and is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 16.
According to the BBC’s coverage of the proceedings, the case centered on Robinson’s response to articles published by the Daily Mail and MailOnline while he was vacationing in Cyprus with his family.
The newspaper had sent Young and a photographer to Cyprus after Robinson posted social media commentary about the riots that followed the July 29, 2024, murders of three young girls at a dance class in Southport, England.
The newspaper accused Robinson of “stoking riots from his sunbed,” an allegation he disputed.
The violence erupted after false claims circulated online about the identity and immigration status of the Southport attacker. Rioting subsequently spread to several British cities, with attacks on police officers, businesses, mosques and accommodation housing asylum seekers.
Robinson maintained that the newspaper had endangered his family by publicizing his location and publishing photographs connected to his private life.
He told the court that he believed people wanted to kill him and that the newspaper’s reporting increased the risks he and his family faced.
Following publication of the articles, Robinson hired private investigators to identify the journalists’ residential addresses.
The investigation also uncovered the home address of Daily Mail editor-in-chief Ted Verity.
Prosecutors argued that Robinson’s actions went beyond a legitimate complaint about news coverage and constituted a deliberate effort to intimidate the reporters.
According to Sky News, Robinson contacted Young by telephone and told him, “I’m coming to get you.”
He also sent Dirnhuber a message stating, “I’ll be knocking at your door.”
The court heard that Robinson subsequently published photographs of Dirnhuber outside his home and images involving Young’s family on X.
One social media post showing Dirnhuber near his residence attracted approximately 4.8 million views, according to evidence presented during the trial.
The prosecution argued that Robinson’s substantial social media following increased the potential danger to the journalists because members of the public could use the published information to identify or confront them.
Young was provided with a close protection officer by his employer, while Dirnhuber and his partner temporarily left their home because they feared an attack.
The jury also heard that Robinson contacted Verity and referred to having located the journalists.
In one voicemail presented as evidence, Robinson told the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, “I’ve already located every f****** one of you.”
Robinson acknowledged during his testimony that he had hired investigators to put pressure on the journalists but denied that he intended to threaten or physically harm them.
He argued that he wanted the newspaper to remove material involving his family and believed confronting the journalists was justified by what he considered an invasion of his privacy.
Speaking about a video directed at the reporters, Robinson told the court he was “giving a warning” rather than threatening violence.
“I’m not coming to beat [them] up,” he testified.
His defense maintained that his conduct was motivated by concern for his family’s safety rather than a desire to intimidate journalists.
However, jurors accepted the prosecution’s argument that his communications and publication of personal information caused the reporters to fear violence.
The Crown Prosecution Service characterized the case as harassment involving the use of social media to target journalists carrying out their work.
Police said Robinson had alternatives available if he believed the newspaper had acted improperly, including established procedures for challenging inaccurate or intrusive reporting.
Following the conviction, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said, “There are legitimate and established routes that can be pursued by people who have concerns or complaints about their treatment by the media.”
The spokesperson said Robinson had instead published threatening material that exposed journalists to potential intimidation and forced them to take additional security precautions.
The Daily Mail welcomed the verdict, arguing that the harassment had serious consequences for the reporters and their families.
Robinson criticized the outcome on social media, describing the verdicts as “insane.”
The case has also attracted international attention because of Robinson’s prominence in Britain’s anti-immigration movement and his association with billionaire Elon Musk.
According to Reuters, Robinson said before the trial that Musk was supporting his legal defense. Musk previously financed Robinson’s defense in a separate legal case in which the activist was acquitted.
Robinson founded the English Defence League in 2009 and has remained a prominent figure in British demonstrations involving immigration, Islam and allegations of institutional failures to address organized child sexual exploitation.
He has previously faced criminal proceedings involving contempt of court and other offenses.
The latest conviction concerns his conduct toward the two journalists, rather than his political positions or criticism of the government’s immigration policies.
Under British law, harassment causing fear of violence is a criminal offense that can carry a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.
That maximum represents the statutory sentencing limit, not a predetermined punishment. The court will consider the circumstances of the offenses and other relevant factors before determining Robinson’s sentence.
Mr. Justice Cavanagh allowed Robinson to remain on bail pending sentencing, scheduled for Dec. 16.
The verdict concludes the trial over Robinson’s actions during the aftermath of the 2024 Southport riots, with the length of any prison sentence yet to be determined.
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