British far-right activist Tommy Robinson could face jail time after being found in contempt of court for live-streaming footage of defendants in a 2018 criminal trial, the Press Association (PA) reported Friday.
Two senior High Court judges at London’s Old Bailey found Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, in breach of a reporting ban. The court will consider what penalty to impose at a later date, PA reported.
Robinson, who used to lead the anti-Muslim English Defence League (EDL), denied wrongdoing, PA reported. He said the information he referred to was already in the public domain and he did not believe he had breached reporting restrictions.
His supporters, who had gathered outside the court on Friday, reacted in anger to the judges’ decision, chanting “shame on you” as they pointed at the court.
Robinson, 36, has become a figurehead for the far right in Britain, attracting thousands of followers both online and at protests.
Robinson was initially jailed for 13 months for contempt of court for live-streaming videos to Facebook from outside the trial of a grooming gang as the jury was considering its verdict in May 2018.
Robinson’s conviction was later quashed over procedural matters with the case being referred to the attorney general – who announced in March that it was in the public interest to bring fresh proceedings against him.
He has previously been convicted of assault, drug and public order offenses, mortgage fraud and using someone else’s passport to travel to the US.