Britain
Britain
Tommy Robinson convicted of harassing two journalists
Tommy Robinson has been convicted of two counts of harassment causing fear of violence after a trial at Southwark Crown Court. The jury returned its verdicts on Wednesday 28 October. He is due to be sentenced at the same court on 16 December.
The case concerned his treatment of two Daily Mail journalists after coverage of his family holiday in Cyprus during the unrest that followed the Southport murders in 2024. Robinson denied the charges. The verdict means the jury accepted the prosecution’s case, but the court has not yet decided his sentence.
What did the Tommy Robinson trial decide?
The Crown Prosecution Service identifies the defendant as Stephen Lennon. Robinson is also widely known as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. The CPS confirmed convictions for two counts of harassment causing fear of violence under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
BBC court reporting names the journalists as Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber. It reports that Robinson admitted hiring private investigators to take photographs of their home addresses. He told the jury he wanted to put pressure on the journalists and bring the newspaper into discussions.
The Metropolitan Police said the investigation began after the journalists raised concerns for their safety. Officers examined online posts containing personal information, as well as calls and voicemails directed at the victims.
Our 21 October account of what the jury had heard described the case while the trial was still under way. This report covers the subsequent verdicts and the next court hearing.
How the harassment case developed
The police account says a Mail Online journalist and photographer travelled to the place where Robinson was staying abroad after he posted about events in Britain. The resulting coverage included photographs from the holiday.
According to police, Robinson responded by sending investigators to find the journalists’ home addresses and take photographs outside their homes. He then published images on X, including cropped photographs of members of one journalist’s family.
The force said the journalists feared for their safety and that of their families. It said they took precautions that included leaving their homes and hiring private security. This article does not reproduce their private information or the images used to target them.
What Robinson told the jury
Robinson denied intending to frighten the journalists. The BBC reports that he said he had panicked and feared that the Daily Mail’s coverage had endangered his family by revealing where they were staying in Cyprus.
He told the court that he had wanted to question the journalists and put pressure on the newspaper, rather than cause fear. The jury nevertheless found him guilty on both counts. His explanation is part of the trial evidence, not an account that the verdict accepted.
When will Tommy Robinson be sentenced?
The CPS confirms that the sentencing hearing is scheduled for 16 December 2026 at Southwark Crown Court. The BBC reports that Robinson was granted bail until that hearing.
BBC and Guardian reporting say harassment causing fear of violence can carry a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. That is a legal maximum, not a prediction of the sentence in this case. The judge will determine the outcome at the hearing.
After the verdicts, Frank Ferguson, who heads the CPS’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said nobody should be made to fear violence because of their work. He said journalists should be able to carry out their duties without harassment.
The police separately said people who object to media coverage have legitimate routes for complaints. Both statements concern the conduct established in this case. The convictions do not themselves settle every argument about the newspaper’s reporting or impose a sentence before the next hearing.
Sources: the CPS statement, the Metropolitan Police account, BBC court reporting and the Guardian’s court report.
