Tommy Robinson has been found guilty of using social media to harass two Our News Outlet journalists who reported that he had been stoking race riots in the UK while sitting on a sunbed in Cyprus.
Jurors convicted the former English Defence League leader after hearing that he employed “bully-boy” and intimidating tactics against the reporters.
Prosecutors said the political activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, sent photographers to the journalists’ homes and shared images of their addresses with millions of followers online.
Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber told the court they feared for their safety after Robinson, 43, posted a series of messages and sent direct communications through X.
The court heard Robinson sent Mr Dirnhuber a message stating, “I’ll be knocking on your door.” After a photograph of Mr Dirnhuber outside his home was posted on X, Robinson wrote: “Got ya.”
Jurors were also told that Robinson telephoned Mr Young and said: “I’m coming to get you.”
Robinson denied two charges of harassment causing fear of violence, arguing that the journalists would have understood he did not mean he was “coming to beat them up”.
However, he now faces a possible sentence of up to ten years in prison after being convicted at Southwark Crown Court today. He showed little emotion as the verdicts were delivered.
Tommy Robinson, pictured leaving court today, will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on December 16
Robinson was convicted after jurors heard he used “bully-boy” and intimidating tactics against two Our News Outlet reporters
Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counter terrorism division, said Robinson had “weaponised social media” in a campaign against the journalists that caused them serious fear of violence.
After the guilty verdicts, he said: “The evidence in this case showed that he targeted the victims both directly and indirectly through social media and by telephone. He also published images relating not only to them, but to their families.
“The jury heard evidence from the victims and witnesses before deciding that this conduct crossed the line into criminality.
“Nobody should be made to fear violence because of the work they do. Journalists have an important role in a democratic society and must be able to carry out their professional duties without harassment.
“We will continue to work with police to prosecute those who break the law. I hope these convictions reassure people that such behaviour will be taken seriously by the criminal justice system.”
A Our News Outlet spokesman said: “We welcome today’s verdict and are pleased that Stephen Yaxley-Lennon has been found guilty of harassing two of our journalists in a way that caused them fear of violence.
“Yaxley-Lennon’s behaviour was reprehensible and had serious consequences for our reporters and their families.
“Through his actions, Yaxley-Lennon attempted to undermine our right to hold him to account. We stand by our journalists and their freedom to report legitimately in the public interest.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “This kind of intimidating behaviour is unacceptable. Anyone who acts to intimidate, harass or threaten others, either online or in the real world, can expect to be investigated and brought before the courts, as happened in this case.”
Prosecutor Ben Holt told jurors that Robinson targeted the journalists after Our News Outlet published a front-page report about him in August 2024.
The jury heard evidence from the victims and witnesses before deciding that Robinson’s conduct had crossed the line into criminality.
The Met said anyone who behaved as Robinson did “to intimidate, harass and threaten others either online or in the real world” could expect to be investigated and brought before the courts
“Nobody should be made to fear violence because of the work they do. Journalists play an important role in a democratic society and should be able to perform their professional duties without harassment.
“We will always work with police to prosecute those who break the law, and I hope these convictions reassure people that such conduct will be treated seriously by the criminal justice system.”
The article, headlined “Stoking race riots from his sunbed”, focused on unrest in the UK following the murder of three girls in Southport.
Mr Holt said Robinson could have complained about the exclusive report to Ipso, the independent press regulator.
Instead, he “retaliated”, issuing the warning: “You have come for me, I am going to come for you.”
Mr Holt told the jury: “This defendant, using bully-boy and intimidating tactics, threatened the journalists.
“The journalists feared for their own safety and that of their families. They were either forced to leave their homes or arrange for security personnel to monitor them.”
Robinson told police that Our News Outlet had identified his hotel in Cyprus and that he had been “overrun with news crews taking photos and filming my children”, leaving them “scared and upset”.
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Mr Holt said: “His case is that his family had been placed in danger by the actions of Our News Outlet.”
However, Our News Outlet did not publish identifiable images of Robinson’s children.
Mr Dirnhuber said Robinson’s social media messages left him “scared to go to my own house”, while freelance journalist Mr Young said he felt his family was under threat because of Robinson’s harassment.
Mr Dirnhuber said he feared being “intercepted” by one of Robinson’s supporters while travelling to work, with the person possibly intending to cause physical harm to him or his partner.
He said he and his partner left their home until security measures could be arranged, including installing a doorbell camera and considering whether to obtain a panic alarm.
Mr Young said he feared Robinson’s followers would “seek revenge on me”. He also described Robinson as becoming “increasingly menacing” after calling his personal number.
In a witness statement, he said: “I repeatedly told him that I did not want to engage with him and that he should direct any matters to Our News Outlet’s legal department.
“His tone became increasingly menacing as he raised his voice, swore and shouted.
“I kept repeating the same thing, which appeared only to make him more angry.”
Robinson sent a series of messages to the reporters who revealed that the former EDL leader was stirring tensions in the UK in August 2024 while on a sun lounger in Cyprus
Mr Young said Robinson “kept screaming at me” while claiming he had been investigating his family.
His statement continued: “I told him several times that I considered what he was saying to be threatening behaviour and that I would report it.
“He said he would come to my house to see me and that I would have to move house.”
Another journalist, George Odling, said in a witness statement that he, his wife and their young child left their home through a neighbour’s property because they feared being followed by Robinson’s supporters.
Robinson admitted that he “panicked” when he posted photographs of the Our News Outlet journalists.
The court heard that the activist hired private investigators to photograph the homes of Mr Dirnhuber and Mr Young. He said: “I wanted to find the journalists” in order to “put pressure on them”.
He denied that hiring the investigators was intended to intimidate the reporters, saying: “That was not my intention at all. My intention was to remove the fear and the immediate danger to my family.”
Robinson said he wanted to locate the journalists who wrote the Our News Outlet report so he could “question them on camera”, but insisted he did not want to harm their families.
Mr Holt put it to Robinson that the reporters were “scared of you”.
Robinson replied: “They are not scared of physical violence from me.”
He said the journalists were instead afraid of being “humiliated” by his questioning.
Supporters of Robinson in the public gallery sighed in disappointment as the verdicts were announced.
Robinson, wearing a navy suit with what appeared to be American flags on the back of his waistcoat, sat down and quietly shook his head as the judge addressed the jury after the verdicts.
The jury deliberated for 11 hours and 25 minutes.
Robinson, who has previous convictions for violence, fraud and contempt of court, was granted bail and will be sentenced on December 16.
It can now be reported that Mr Justice Cavanagh considered it “necessary” to warn members of the public about contempt of court during the trial.
On the first day, Robinson and his supporters posted a series of comments and videos on social media after proceedings began. Robinson also commented on the composition of the jury after the panel had been selected.
Before the second day of the trial, the judge said: “The press and media are free to report proceedings as they take place, but that freedom carries a responsibility to ensure reports are fair, accurate and balanced.
“Anyone whose reporting does not meet those standards, whether they are accredited journalists or members of the public, may be excluded from the courtroom and risk being found in contempt of court.
“Nobody can say they have not been warned.”
