Tommy Robinson, the far-right activist whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has lost his appeal against an 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court.

The Court of Appeal dismissed Robinson’s challenge on Wednesday, ruling that his breaches of a High Court injunction were serious and deliberate, and that the sentencing judge had shown “a meticulous approach” in his reasoning.

Background to the Case

Robinson, 42, was jailed in October 2023 after admitting 10 breaches of a 2021 injunction that barred him from repeating false claims about Jamal Hijazi, a Syrian schoolboy who successfully sued him for libel. The libellous allegations were originally made following a viral video in 2018 showing Mr Hijazi being assaulted at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield.

Despite losing the libel case and being ordered to pay £100,000 in damages, Robinson continued to make the same claims publicly through a film titled Silenced, which was shared across his social media platforms and played at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in 2023.

He was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court, where Mr Justice Johnson called the breaches “flagrant” and said, “nobody is above the law.”

Appeal Arguments and Outcome

Robinson appealed on the grounds that his mental health, including ADHD and complex PTSD, had deteriorated during his time in segregation at HMP Woodhill, making the sentence more onerous than anticipated.

His lawyer, Alisdair Williamson KC, claimed that Robinson’s conditions were “making him ill” and argued that the sentencing judge was not fully informed about his mental state at the time.

However, the Court of Appeal – comprising Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, Lord Justice Edis, and Lord Justice Warby – found there was no sufficient new medical evidence to warrant a reduced sentence. In their 15-page ruling, the judges wrote:

“Even taking the appellant’s case at its highest, we see no reasonable basis for the contention that the conditions that he is experiencing are so substantially worse than the judge anticipated… The evidence falls far short of the standard for a successful criminal appeal based on fresh medical evidence.”

The panel also noted that Robinson could still reduce his sentence by four months if he complied with the judge’s recommendation to remove the offending content from his platforms.

Official Reaction

A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office welcomed the ruling, saying:

“Stephen Yaxley-Lennon repeatedly ignored judges’ orders and continued to spread libellous allegations. His 18-month sentence reflected how gravely the court considers contempt.”

The court’s decision marks Robinson’s second legal defeat in under a month, following the High Court’s dismissal of his challenge over prison conditions in March.

What Comes Next

Robinson is due to be released from prison on July 26, having served half of his sentence. However, unless he removes the defamatory content as previously advised by the court, he will remain ineligible for any further sentence reduction.

Background on the Injunction

The original High Court injunction was issued following Robinson’s libellous Facebook posts that falsely accused Jamal Hijazi of attacking girls at school. These claims led to widespread abuse and threats against the schoolboy and were proven to be baseless in court.

Mr Justice Nicklin awarded Mr Hijazi £100,000 in damages and ordered Robinson to stop repeating the allegations, a command Robinson has consistently flouted.