Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been found guilty of harassing two journalists and causing them to fear violence. A jury reached a majority verdict at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, October 28.
The 43-year-old activist, whose full name is Stephen Lennon, was described as a “bully” by prosecutors after freelance reporter Andrew Young and Daily Mail editor Jacob Dirnhuber said they felt forced to either leave their homes or employ extra security for fear of a “vigilante” attack.
Verdict and Background
Jurors at Southwark Crown Court took 11 hours and 25 minutes to find Robinson guilty by a majority of 10 jurors to two of both charges of harassment causing fear of violence.
The trial heard how the anti-migrant activist “retaliated” after the Daily Mail and its sister publication MailOnline published a story about him “stoking riots from his sunbed” during unrest in the UK in August 2024, following the murders of three girls in Southport. Robinson made a series of posts on social media about the situation while on holiday in Cyprus, prompting the newspaper to send Mr Young and a photographer to the island.
Harassment and Intimidation
After MailOnline published its story, Robinson posted criticisms on his X account of Mr Young and Mr Dirnhuber due to their involvement in the article. He went on to hire private investigators to find the home addresses of his victims, as well as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Mail, Ted Verity.
The jury accepted the prosecution’s case that the decision to hire detectives was designed to “intimidate” his victims, with photographs of Mr Dirnhuber outside his home and cropped images of Mr Young’s family posted online by Robinson. Alongside social media posts and direct messages to Mr Dirnhuber, the defendant also became “increasingly menacing” on a telephone call with Mr Young on August 5, 2024, telling the freelance journalist: “I’m coming to get you.”
Impact and Sentencing
Jurors rejected claims from the activist that the Daily Mail had put his family in danger by publishing the story, with the defendant weeping in the witness box on Thursday as he spoke about his relationship with his children. Prosecutor Ben Holt previously told the court that Mr Young was given a close protection officer by the Daily Mail after photographs of his wife and children were posted on Robinson’s X account.
Mr Dirnhuber had to move house because of the harassment, and Daily Mail correspondent George Odling also felt the need to leave his family home after becoming concerned with the publicity surrounding his colleagues. Mr Verity provided evidence to police of a voicemail he received from Robinson, who told him: “I’ve already located every f****** one of you.”
Robinson posted on X before the trial began to thank Tesla owner Elon Musk for funding his legal fees. He was granted bail ahead of his sentencing on December 16.
