Tommy Robinson has been convicted of two counts of harassment causing fear of violence after a trial at Southwark Crown Court, according to reporting on October 29-30. The jury returned its verdicts on Wednesday, October 28, and he is due to be sentenced at the same court on December 16, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and BBC court reporting cited in the account. The case concerned his treatment of two Daily Mail journalists after coverage of his family holiday in Cyprus during the unrest that followed the Southport murders in 2024, according to the report. Robinson denied the charges. The verdict means the jury accepted the prosecution’s case, but the court has not yet decided his sentence.
Private investigators sent to journalists’ homes
The CPS identifies the defendant as Stephen Lennon, also widely known as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, according to the report. BBC court reporting names the journalists as Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber. It reports that Robinson admitted hiring private investigators to take photographs of their home addresses, and told the jury he wanted to put pressure on the journalists and bring the newspaper into discussions. The Metropolitan Police said the investigation began after the journalists raised concerns for their safety, according to the report. Officers examined online posts containing personal information, as well as calls and voicemails directed at the victims. According to police, Robinson responded by sending investigators to find the journalists’ home addresses and take photographs outside their homes, then published images on X, including cropped photographs of members of one journalist’s family. The force said the journalists feared for their safety and that of their families, took precautions including leaving their homes and hiring private security.
Bail until December sentencing
The CPS confirmed the sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 16, 2026, at Southwark Crown Court, according to the report. The BBC reports that Robinson was granted bail until that hearing. The police separately said people who object to media coverage have legitimate routes for complaints, a point that frames the case as being about harassment methods, not about whether Robinson could criticise reporting. The convictions, for harassment causing fear of violence under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, carry a maximum sentence that the court will consider in December, taking into account the jury’s findings and any mitigation. For the journalists, the verdict closes a trial about personal safety; for Robinson, it opens a sentencing phase that could include imprisonment.
