Tommy Robinson 'intimidated' Daily Mail reporters, trial hears

Political activist Tommy Robinson used "bully-boy, intimidatory tactics" to frighten two Daily Mail journalists, forcing them to employ security or leave home, a court has heard.

The 43-year-old from Bedfordshire, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is charged with two counts of harassment causing fear of violence towards reporters Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber.

Opening the trial, prosecutor Ben Holt said the case was about Yaxley-Lennon's reaction to what he perceived to be "an unnecessary intrusion into his holiday" in the aftermath of the 2024 Southport attacks.

Robinson, who founded the English Defence League, entered not guilty pleas to the charges in July last year.

Holt said Dirnhuber had to move house because of the alleged harassment, while Young was given a close protection officer by the Daily Mail after photographs of his wife and children were posted on Robinson's X account.

The judge at Southwark Crown Court, Mr Justice Cavanagh, told the jury: "This is not a trial about or an assessment of the defendant's political views."

Ben Holt, for the prosecution, described Yaxley-Lennon as a "well-known public figure" with a "large, vocal online following" that now included more than two million followers on social media website X.

Robinson posted on X before the trial began to thank the social media platform's owner Elon Musk for funding his case – and said his court fees to date had cost him £400,000.

Holt said that after the murders of three young girls in Southport on 29 July 2024, Yaxley-Lennon made a number of posts on social media. This alerted the Daily Mail and Mail Online to the fact that he was in Cyprus.

The Daily Mail published articles that included photographs of the defendant, including one showing him "reclining on a sunbed using his mobile telephone".

Southwark Crown Court heard that over the following days, he made a series of posts on his X account in response.

On 4 August, these included: "The daily mail have purposely gave the location of where I am with my children knowing full well that people want to kill me."

Another post said: "The daily mail have purposely doxed the exact location of my family. How can they be allowed to do this'."

There were no identifiable pictures of Yaxley-Lennon's children published by the Daily Mail or in the Mail Online, jurors were told.

Holt said the trial was about Yaxley-Lennon's reaction to the articles, and accused him of using "bully-boy tactics" to "intimidate" the journalists.

"He chose to frighten them, arrange for individuals to go to their addresses," said the prosecuting counsel.

"On social media — to millions of followers — he circulated images of their homes.

"His supporters got involved — threatening the journalists.

"Understandably, you might agree, they were scared; in some circumstances, being forced to leave their homes."

The court heard that on 5 August, Dirnhuber received a number of direct messages from Robinson/Yaxley-Lennon.

These included "you have endangered my children", "I'll be knocking at your door," and "let your bosses know I'm coming to all of your houses".

The jury panel also heard details of an alleged phone conversation between Yaxley-Lennon and Young.

"He said that he had Mr Young's telephone number. He recited his home address," Mr Holt told jurors.

Yaxley-Lennon then became, according to Mr Young, "increasingly menacing".

The prosecutor continued: "He raised his voice, he was swearing and shouting.

"He said that he had been researching Mr Young's family and threatened to publish photographs of them and their addresses online.

"Mr Lennon told Mr Young that he would be coming to Mr Young's house and he would have to move house.

"He was going to shove a camera in his face and ask questions.

"Mr Young told him that he did not want to engage with him — all complaints should be directed to the Daily Mail legal department.

"Mr Young believes Mr Lennon said 'I'm coming to get you'."

The prosecutor said it would have been "inevitable" that Robinson's posts would lead his supporters to "pick up the baton" and target the journalists. He referred to a post from somebody who had displayed a picture of Mr Young's Suffolk address online.

The prosecutor said: "This was never going to be a one-man campaign; it was inevitably going to draw others in."

Editor-in-chief of the newspaper Ted Verity also provided evidence to police of a voicemail he received from an individual identifying himself as "Tommy Robinson", who allegedly told him that he had "already located every... one of you".

The jury was told that Yaxley-Lennon's case was that his family "had been put in danger by the actions of the Daily Mail" and he had acted to "protect his family".

On X he posted: "What is good for the goose is good for the gander."

The trial, in front of a jury of nine men and three women, is expected to last for five days.

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Tommy Robinson pleads not guilty to harassment