Far right activist Tommy Robinson was freed on bail today after his 13 month jail term for contempt of court was quashed.

The former English Defence League leader was jailed in May for filming defendants in a criminal trial at Leeds Crown Court and broadcasting the footage to 250,000 people on Facebook.

Robinson, 35, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, successfully appealed against his jail term claiming it was ‘excessive’ and the hearing was ‘rushed’.

Lord Burnett speaking at the Court of Appeal said he was allowing his appeal ‘in respect of the committal for contempt at Leeds Crown Court’ - but said the case would have to be be heard again.

Supporters in the packed courtroom broke into a round of applause as the decision was announced.

At the hearing in May Robinson was given 10 months for contempt of court, which he admitted, and a further three months for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

Robinson was detained outside Leeds Crown Court after using social media to broadcast details of a trial which is subject to blanket reporting restrictions.

It was the second time Robinson had breached court orders, having narrowly avoided jail in May last year over footage he filmed during the trial of four men who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl.

The judge on that occasion gave him a three-month suspended sentence and told him his punishment was not about “freedom of speech or freedom of the press” but about “justice and ensuring that a trial can be carried out justly and fairly”.

His jailing led to violent protests in London and other cities in the UK, including one in Whitehall in June when 21 police officers were injured.

Robinson was not present for this morning’s ruling and was expected to be released from prison later today.

Rival groups of Tommy Robinson supporters and “Stand Up To Racism” protesters gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice for today’s hearing.

At a hearing in July, Robinson’s QC Jeremy Dein argued that procedural “deficiencies” had given rise to “prejudice”.

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Mr Dein also submitted that the sentence was “manifestly excessive” and that “insufficient” regard had been given to personal mitigation.

The QC said the proceedings in Leeds had been “unnecessarily and unjustifiably rushed”.

He told the judges that Robinson had offered to have the live stream of his filming taken down.

There had been no intention to disrupt the trial or to breach any order, Mr Dein claimed.

Anti-racist HOPE not hate chief executive Nick Lowles said: “This is a man who admitted to a serious crime and nearly derailed a major trial. Today’s verdict changes none of that.”