Tommy Robinson sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting contempt of court | Tommy Robinson

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court for repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee in violation of a restraining order.

A judge told him that “no one is above the law” and said the violations were “flagrant” and carried out in a “sophisticated” manner to ensure the false claims reached tens of millions of people online.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has shown no remorse and there is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation, Judge Johnson told Woolwich Crown Court: “All his actions to date indicate that he considers himself over considered in accordance with the law.” Law.”

However, the judge granted a four-month suspension of the sentence if Robinson “cleaned himself up” by removing the false claims from the social media accounts he controlled. As Robinson stood in the dock, he looked up at his supporters and said “no” at that point.

The hearing was told that Robinson had effectively repeated all the allegations that led to him losing a libel case brought against him by Jamal Hijazi, who was filmed attacking a school in West Yorkshire.

Shortly after video of the incident went viral, Robinson falsely claimed in Facebook videos that Hijazi was “not innocent and violently attacks young English girls at his school.”

The attorney general filed two contempt charges against Robinson earlier this year, claiming he “knowingly” violated a court order several times by repeating the false claims at the heart of the defamation case.

Monday's hearing came as the false claims were repeated. This included interviews with figures such as Gareth Icke, the son of conspiracy theorist David Icke, and in a film Robinson later made. Through sharing on online platforms and by misogynist influencer Andrew Tate, it was seen by millions of people.

Aidan Eardley KC, Assistant Attorney General, said: “The film is a large work. It lasts about 90 minutes and is entirely dedicated to Hijazi history.”

Other breaches of court orders included showing the film on large screens during a large rally organized by Robinson for his supporters in Trafalgar Square on July 27.

Robinson, 41, appearing in the dock after being remanded in custody on Friday, shook his head and looked up at supporters in the public gallery as he heard talk of the maximum prison sentence for contempt of court being two years .

At the start of the hearing, Eardley said a “resolution” had been reached to the allegations and read it out to the court.

Asked by Mr Justice Johnson whether he accepted he had committed the offenses, Robinson nodded and then replied: “Yes”.

Eardley referred to Robinson by his real name and said the case was not about the far-right politician's political activities. “It’s about disobedience to a court order and undermining the rule of law,” he said.

The court was told by a lawyer for Robinson that he was a journalist and first started working in that role in 2015. He then made the film entitled “Silenced” after it was commissioned by Alex Jones, the well-known US conspiracy theorist.

A motion for clemency was filed on Robinson's behalf on the grounds that he had pleaded guilty “sooner rather than later” despite previously failing to appear at the case's hearing in July. It was told at that hearing that Robinson had fled the UK to “put himself beyond the reach of authorities” in the UK.