Judge to rule later on whether there will be substantive hearing over alleged contempt

A contempt of court case against the far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been adjourned at the Old Bailey after a brief hearing.

The recorder of London, Nicholas Hilliard QC, adjourned the case, saying he would receive written submissions before making a ruling at a later date. The recorder’s ruling will determine whether there will be a substantive hearing at the Old Bailey into the alleged contempt of court.

Robinson was released on bail with the only condition that he does not approach within 400 metres of Leeds crown court, where his original hearing took place.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tommy Robinson greets supporters outside the Old Bailey on Thursday. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

After the short hearing, Robinson waved to his supporters from a window in the Old Bailey canteen, to huge cheers and chants of: “We will be back again, we will be back again” and, “Oh Tommy Tommy”.

Robinson, wearing jeans, black trainers and a grey checked jacket, sat behind his barrister, Richard Furlong, in court. He was referred to by his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, throughout the brief hearing.

Robinson said as his hearing was adjourned that he was being prosecuted as a “political prisoner”. He told reporters outside the courtroom: “This is an embarrassment to … British justice.

“What I was hoping is that if they would send me to prison today – which I thought they would – then I would be home for Christmas with my three children. Now they’ve put it back.”



Robinson said three journalists had breached the same reporting restriction as he had but that he was being singled out “for being Tommy Robinson”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Supporters of Tommy Robinson demonstrate outside the Old Bailey. Photograph: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty

“I’ve served far more of a sentence than anyone should have served for reporting on a court case. All of you report on political prisoners and that’s what I am. It’s exactly the same. It’s bullshit – the whole thing is bullshit.”

Access to the courtroom was restricted to members of the press and about a dozen of Robinson’s close supporters, including Kevin Carroll, the co-founder of the English Defence League, and Gavin McInnes, the co-founder of Vice.

Earlier, more than 150 supporters of Robinson chanted his name as he arrived at the Old Bailey for a rerun of his contempt of court hearing on Thursday morning.

Carrying union jacks, St George’s cross flags and placards reading “free Tommy”, they outnumbered a 30-strong counter-protest organised by antifascist groups.

Robinson emerged from court to cheers from hundreds of supporters who had gathered outside throughout the morning. The mainly white and middle-aged crowd thronged around him as he was escorted by police and close associates along Ludgate Hill towards City Thameslink station. Robinson paused several times along the way to greet, hug and pose for photos with supporters as police and his security team cleared a route.

The crowd was largely good natured and included members of rightwing groups including Ukip, For Britain and Generation Identity. Others carried homemade placards saying “No to Sharia law” and praising Robinson.

“We’re like one big patriotic family,” one woman said as she remonstrated with police, at whom others chanted: “You’re not English any more.”

A counter-protest organised by Unite Against Fascism and Stand Up to Racism had largely dissolved by 11am. Two women who attempted to draw attention to Robinson’s criminal record were met with anger and intimidation by some protesters. Eleanor Richardson and Emma Lyons, students at the London School of Economics, had their placard snatched from them and torn to pieces when they approached the crowd. Others in the crowd quickly emerged to intervene and apologise for the way they had been treated.

Lyons said the response of Robinson’s supporters discredited their claims to be in favour of free speech. “That [behaviour] is aggressive, that’s violent,” she said. “I don’t behave like that when I’m talking to people about my opinions; is that free speech? I don’t think so. It’s threatening and it’s violent.”

City of London police said they had made one arrest connected to the demonstration, for a breach of the peace.

Robinson, 35, was released from prison last month after three judges quashed a finding of contempt of court made at Leeds crown court in May, and granted him conditional bail from a 13-month jail sentence.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Supporters of Tommy Robinson outside the Old Bailey. Photograph: David Mirzoeff/PA

The case centres on an allegation that he breached reporting restrictions on a trial at Leeds crown court by confronting defendants while streaming live on Facebook.

Later on Thursday, City of London police said they were looking into whether any offences were committed in relation to a video of Robinson filmed that day inside the Old Bailey.

The video was posted on the account of Robinson’s former employer, the Rebel Media co-founder Ezra Levant, and showed the defendant waving to the crowds outside from the Old Bailey canteen.

By Thursday afternoon it had been viewed more than 160,000 times. Section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925 (CJA 1925) makes it an offence to photograph people within court precincts.

However, a senior barrister involved in the case said the circumstances of the filming meant it was not clear whether an offence had taken place.