🔗 Share this article

Legal representatives informed the tribunal that law enforcement maintained reasonable suspicions indicating Stephen Yaxley-Lennon's mobile contained information relevant to terrorist activities when they stopped him in the previous year as he tried to depart from the UK.

Denial to Give Device Password

The right-wing campaigner, using his real name is Tommy Robinson, reportedly declined to hand over his password to police, stating it included journalist content.” This occurred after he was intercepted at the Channel tunnel on July 28, 2024.

Trial Claims on Anti-Terror Powers

On the last day of the trial, state lawyer Jo Morris stated that the anti-terror authorities used by police are intended to permit intelligence gathering. She claimed that police had valid grounds to believe the defendant continued to have connections to right-wing groups, even following the dissolution of the EDL organization.

“Although his affiliation of the EDL has ceased, his beliefs have not disappeared. He is recognized for having those views and therefore it is a reasonable suspicion to think that on his telephone there may be information pertaining to acts of terrorism,” she informed the court.

Morris continued, His opinions – to which he is allowed – were not the subject for their concern on July 28. It was his connection to individuals who are potentially involved in prohibited activities.”

Details of the Detention

The activist had arrived by himself at the Eurotunnel in a silver Bentley owned by a friend and was traveling to the Spanish resort of the Spanish coast with more than £13,000 in a carry-on, the trial was told.

The money was reportedly from a collection to cover expenses from arranging a major rally that took place the previous day in Trafalgar Square.

Defense Arguments

Robinson, who denies failing to comply with anti-terror laws during the incident on 28 July last year, faces up to 90 days in prison or a potential £2,500 fine if found guilty.

His barrister, Alisdair Williamson KC, said in final arguments that anti-terror officers who stopped Robinson had engaged in a speculative search” and that he had been unlawfully detained.

Referring to testimony from officers who said they called other organizations” after arresting him, Williamson claimed this was a allusion to the security services and that lack of proof had been presented from the security service to indicate his client was a terrorist.

He said the police intervention was “discriminatory” because it was based to a large extent on a protected characteristic.” He stated that the main factor” on the decision to stop him was recognizing his identity”.

He noted that police had used an “extraordinary power that needs to be carefully regulated” to try to find out information that was already known. Williamson suggested that his client journeyed to Benidorm regularly, which should have reduced the officers’ suspicions about him.

Expenses and Verdict Date

Robinson stated that his court expenses in the case were being paid for by Elon Musk, the proprietor of X and Tesla, who has emerged as an ally of the campaigner and recently spoke at a rally arranged by him in the capital via a livestream.

A proposed date of the following Tuesday for the verdict was changed by the magistrate, the judge, after the defense said his client was scheduled to be a guest of the Israeli government from the midweek and would not return until October 25.

{“I wouldn’t trouble you if this was a trip to Benidorm. I would ask him to rearrange it but he is a guest of a foreign government,” said the barrister.

Goozee said he would deliver his verdict on the morning of 4 November.