Prosecutors accuse Tommy Robinson of intimidating two Mail journalists
Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is accused of harassing two Mail journalists after they reported that he was posting about unrest in the UK while on holiday in Cyprus. Prosecutors told a jury at Southwark Crown Court that he used intimidating, retaliatory tactics and urged jurors to judge the case under the rule of law rather than a “vigilante world”. Robinson denies two charges of harassment causing fear of violence.
The court heard that Robinson sent a journalist a message saying, “I’ll be knocking on your door”, phoned another with threats, and that a voicemail left for the Mail’s editor-in-chief said he had located the staff. Prosecutors said Robinson had about one million followers on X and one post was read 4.7 million times. The case relates to events after the Southport killings in July 2024, when journalists tracked Robinson to Cyprus; the article says he was angered by their reporting.
In short
- Robinson denies two harassment charges.
- Prosecutors say he threatened two journalists after their reporting.
- The jury is considering whether his response was reasonable.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The prosecution’s case is that threats directed at journalists because of their reporting can make them fear violence and deter scrutiny, so the law should protect them as it protects others. It argues that the alleged messages, calls and voicemail should be judged in context, including Robinson’s large audience and the journalists’ concern for their safety.
The case against
Robinson denies the charges, and a fair trial requires the jury to decide whether the evidence proves the specific offences beyond reasonable doubt, rather than treating angry or threatening-sounding words as proof by themselves. A thoughtful defence could argue that the messages and calls must be assessed in their full context and that criticism of reporting, even forceful criticism, should not be criminalised unless the legal test for harassment causing fear of violence is met.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘He threatened people and acted like a bully’: Jury in Tommy Robinson trial over harassment of Mail journalists urged not to let him ‘live in a vigilante world’ when coming to their verdicts”.