Founder of far-right English Defense League gets 18 months in prison for court contempt

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The founder of the far-right English Defense League was sentenced Monday to a year and a half in prison for violating a court order barring him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee. Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, admitted in Woolwich Crown Court that he was in contempt of court for violating a 2021 court injunction by giving interviews broadcast on YouTube, a podcast and in a documentary he presented during a rally in London's Trafalgar Square in July that was also posted on his X account and widely viewed. Justice Jeremy Johnson said Robinson’s breaches of the injunction were not “accidental, negligent or merely reckless” but a “planned, deliberate, direct, flagrant breach of the court’s orders.” “Nobody is above the law. Robinson was jailed Friday on a warrant issued after he failed to appear for the court contempt hearing in July and left the country.