A jury at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday found political activist Tommy Robinson guilty of harassing two Daily Mail journalists. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Ten of the 12 jurors found Mr Robinson, 43, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, guilty of harassing two journalists, Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber, to the extent of causing them harm.
At issue was a story published by the Daily Mail under the headline “Stoking Race Riots From His Sunbed”, which revealed that Mr Robinson was inciting protests in the UK while on holiday in Cyprus.
Three girls had been stabbed to death and eight others injured at a dance studio in the UK. The attacker was falsely rumoured to be a Muslim immigrant, sparking anti-immigration protests. The attacker turned out to be a British citizen born in Wales to Christian Rwandan parents.
However, the misinformation had spread as Britons took to the streets, demanding justice and an end to immigration.
Mr Robinson made social media posts encouraging the protesters, noting that they were “justified in their anger.” He wrote: “Get there and show your support. People need to rise up.”
The protests turned violent, with mosques and asylum accommodation facilities coming under attack.
The Daily Mail investigated Mr Robinson’s whereabouts and found that he was holidaying with his wife and children at a hotel in Cyprus. The story included a photograph of his wife.
Incensed by the article, Mr Robinson admitted in court that he had hired private investigators to uncover details of the personal lives of the two journalists, whom he accused of endangering his family’s lives by revealing that they were holidaying in Cyprus.
He told the court that netizens had bullied him and his family members and that he was upset by online comments about his daughter.
Jurors listened to some of the voicemails Mr Robinson had recorded for the Daily Mail editor, Ted Verity.
“I’m not threatening you with violence or anything like that,” Mr Robinson said in a voicemail. “What I’m promising you is I’ll make you famous and your families because that’s what you’ve done to me.”
Prosecutor Ben Holt said Mr Robinson had used “bully-boy” intimidation tactics against the journalists.
“He chose to frighten them, arrange for individuals to go to their addresses,” Mr Holt said, adding that Mr Robinson’s supporters had also threatened the journalists. “Understandably, you might agree, they were scared; in some circumstances, being forced to leave their homes.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said Mr Robinson should have used legitimate means to settle the dispute instead of resorting to harassment.
“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.
Tesla boss Elon Musk is paying Mr Robinson’s legal fees, which exceed £400,000.
