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Tommy Robinson trial: what the jury has heard
The Tommy Robinson trial at Southwark Crown Court has now heard the prosecution case. Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who is known as Tommy Robinson, faces two counts of harassment causing fear of violence against two journalists. The BBC reports that the 43-year-old, who founded the English Defence League, pleaded not guilty to both charges in July last year. The trial is listed for five days. Before the evidence began, the judge, Mr Justice Cavanagh, told the jury, according to the BBC: “This is not a trial about or an assessment of the defendant’s political views.”
This is a contemporaneous report of a trial that is under way. Yaxley-Lennon denies the charges. Everything below is what the court has heard, as reported by the outlets named, and each allegation is the prosecution’s case, not a finding. The jury has not reached a verdict. Position as of the afternoon of Wednesday 21 October 2026.
What the case is about
In this Tommy Robinson trial, the two complainants are Andrew Young, an investigative journalist, and Jacob Dirnhuber, an editor at the Daily Mail and MailOnline. Sky News reports that both counts cover 5 to 7 August 2024. That period followed the Daily Mail and MailOnline published an article, with photographs, about where Yaxley-Lennon was in Cyprus during the disorder that followed the Southport murders. Next, the Standard reports that the prosecution says he responded by trying to intimidate the journalists. The BBC reports that prosecutors told the jury the case concerns his reaction to the articles, and not the articles themselves.
Sky News reports that count one concerns Young. It covers an alleged phone call on 5 August and a series of posts on X on 6 August. Count two concerns Dirnhuber. It covers posts and direct messages on X between 5 and 7 August.
Tommy Robinson trial: the prosecution case
In the Tommy Robinson trial, prosecutor Ben Holt opened the case on Monday. The BBC and the Standard both report that he accused Yaxley-Lennon of using “bully-boy, intimidatory tactics” to frighten the two men. Holt said the case was about his reaction to what he saw as “an unnecessary intrusion into his holiday”, and described him as a “well-known public figure” with a large online following.
Then Holt told jurors that Dirnhuber received direct messages from the defendant between 4am and 4pm on 5 August 2024. They included “You have endangered my children”, “I’ll be knocking at your door” and “Let your bosses know I’m coming to all of your houses”. The Standard reports that later messages said “Okay got your address” and “We need to talk”.
He also described an alleged phone call. In Young’s account, the defendant became “increasingly menacing” and said he would come to Young’s home. The prosecution says Young believes the defendant said “I’m coming to get you”. The BBC and the Standard both carried that account.
Tommy Robinson trial: Tuesday’s evidence
The Standard and the Independent report that jurors heard a voicemail left on the phone of Daily Mail editor-in-chief Ted Verity. The Independent says the Metropolitan Police released it. The Standard quotes the voicemail as saying: “If it’s legitimate journalism then expect me to come knocking”, and adding “I’ve already located every f****** one of you.”
In addition, the court heard witness statements from Dirnhuber and Young, the Standard reports. Dirnhuber said he feared being “intercepted” on his way to work. Young said he feared the defendant’s followers would “seek revenge” over the Cyprus stories. Sky News also reports that the court heard Yaxley-Lennon made no complaint to the press regulator IPSO about the Mail’s coverage.
The defence in the Tommy Robinson trial
The BBC reports that jurors also heard the defendant’s case in the Tommy Robinson trial: his family “had been put in danger by the actions of the Daily Mail”, and he acted to “protect his family”. The BBC also reports that prosecutors told the jury no identifiable pictures of his children appeared in the Daily Mail or on MailOnline. He denies both charges.
Where the trial stands
Sky News reports that the judge heard legal discussions without the jury on Wednesday, and that the content of those discussions cannot be reported. Afterwards, Mr Justice Cavanagh told the jury the court could not continue with the evidence until Thursday morning. He asked jurors to return at 10am. We will update this Tommy Robinson trial report from the named outlets as the case continues. For more political coverage, see our report on Prime Minister’s Questions.
Sources: BBC News (19 October 2026); The Standard (19 October and 20 October 2026); Sky News live coverage (21 October 2026); The Independent (21 October 2026). Featured photo: Shayan Barjesteh van Waalwijk van Doorn, CC BY-SA 4.0, taken at Speakers’ Corner in March 2018. It is an archive photo and not from the trial.
