Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been found guilty of harassing two Daily Mail journalists. A jury at Southwark Crown Court reached its verdict on Wednesday after a two-day deliberation. Robinson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The charges related to Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber. According to witness testimony, the Daily Mail journalists and members of their families left their homes after the far-right activist employed what was described as 'violent and intimidating tactics'. Robinson shared photographs of one journalist's family online. Dirnhuber and his partner had to leave their home, while Young and his family were provided with a personal bodyguard.
The alleged campaign of intimidation included a call to the editor-in-chief of the Daily Mail, in which Robinson stated he would make the journalists and their families 'known'. Robinson claimed he had 'tagged and locked in' all three reporters who had worked on an article about his alleged role in inciting riots following the Southport killings in 2024. The court heard that his 'angry' and 'vengeful' posts began on 5 August 2024. On that day, he called Young and told him he would visit, stating: 'I am coming for you'.
Robinson was charged with harassment causing fear of violence through posts he shared with his hundreds of thousands of followers on the platform X and via direct messages. In his witness statement, Dirnhuber stated he did not know how Robinson had obtained his address or with whom it had been shared. 'I was worried about the risk of being intercepted on my way to work, whether by Robinson stopping me for a live interview or by one of his unpredictable followers hoping to physically harm me or my partner', he said. Young stated that he felt his family was threatened and feared what might happen next. 'It was clear to me that Tommy Robinson was carrying out his threats. My main concern was that, although he might not physically harm me, he had 800,000 followers on X at the time who might have been tempted to retaliate against me, my home or my family because of what I had written', he said.
A third Daily Mail journalist, George Odling, stated in his witness statement that he, his wife and young child had to leave their home through a neighbour's house because they feared being followed by Robinson's supporters.
During the trial, Robinson testified that he was in a 'panic' after the Daily Mail identified a hotel in Cyprus where he had gone with family and friends and published a photograph of his ex-wife, which he said exposed her to risk. He claimed he only wanted to question the journalists and that they knew he was not 'coming to beat them up'. He was accompanied by a large number of supporters in court daily. Robinson is a former member of the British National Party and co-founder of the English Defence League. Before the trial, he stated that his legal costs were being paid by billionaire and X platform owner Elon Musk.
After the guilty verdict, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated that Robinson had 'used social media as a weapon'. Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS's serious crime and counter-terrorism department, said: 'No one should be forced to fear violence because of the work they do. Journalists play a vital role in a democratic society and should be able to carry out their professional duties without harassment. We will always strive to work with the police to prosecute those who break the law, and I hope these verdicts will provide reassurance that such behaviour will be taken seriously in the criminal justice system.'
A Daily Mail spokesperson stated: 'Yaxley-Lennon's behaviour was reprehensible and had severe consequences for our journalists and their families. Through his actions, Yaxley-Lennon sought to undermine our right to hold him to account. We stand with our journalists and their freedom to report legitimately in the public interest.' Robinson is due to return to court.
