Tommy Robinson could have caused Huddersfield grooming trials to collapse and child rapists go free

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Grooming trials that saw the largest gang ever convicted for years of sexual abuse were almost derailed by Tommy Robinson as he claimed to “expose” the crimes. open image in gallery Tommy Robinson being arrested outside Leeds Combined Courts on 25 May 2018 “The vast majority of what you were saying, particularly at the beginning at the part I saw, was reference to cases like this, to Asian men, to the grooming of 11-year-old girls and the number of cases like this,” Judge Marson told Robinson. “No one could possibly conclude that that was likely to be anything other than highly prejudicial to the defendants in the present trial … if the jurors in my present trial get to know of this video, I will no doubt be faced with an application to discharge the jury.” Judge Marson jailed Robinson for 13 months for contempt of court, but the Court of Appeal later overturned his finding because of procedural failings that “gave rise to unfairness”. Robinson frequently claims to have “exposed” grooming gangs across Britain, but his claims have been dismissed by survivors and observers pointing out his reliance on news reports for information.