Russian Foreign Ministry Defends ‘Journalist’ Tommy Robinson, Twitter Erupts In Irony Overload

Robinson was found in contempt in three respects when he filmed men accused of the sexual exploitation of young girls and live-streamed the footage on Facebook, in breach of a reporting ban, outside Leeds Crown Court in May 2018.

Dame Victoria and Justice Warby concluded he committed contempt by breaching the reporting restriction imposed on the trial, by live-streaming the video from outside the public entrance to the court and by “aggressively confronting and filming” some of the defendants.

Giving reasons for their findings on Tuesday, Dame Victoria said Robinson encouraged “vigilante action” in the video, which lasted an hour-and-a-half and was viewed online 250,000 times on the morning of the broadcast.

She said the court took into consideration his 11 previous convictions, including for offences of violence, fraud and disobeying court orders, as well as the effect on him of his previous time in jail, his mental health and the impact of his incarceration on his family.