Tommy Robinson in court over journalist harassment
Tommy Robinson denies harassing two Daily Mail journalists, claiming he only sought to confront them after they published his location and family photos.
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has denied two charges of harassment causing fear of violence against journalists Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber during his trial at Southwark Crown Court [1]. The 43-year-old, accused of using private investigators to track the reporters to their homes, said he acted to 'put pressure' on them after the Daily Mail published a story accusing him of 'stoking race riots from his sunbed' while on holiday in Cyprus in August 2024 [2].
Robinson claimed he was 'shocked and scared' when the article revealed his location and included an image of his ex-wife, fearing it would 'change her life forever' [1]. He said his 12-year-old daughter received rape threats and his ex-wife had been threatened with an acid attack. He admitted hiring private investigators to obtain the journalists’ phone numbers and emails, and to photograph them outside their homes, but insisted he did not intend to intimidate them [3].
He stated he wanted to 'find the journalists' and 'question them on camera' to challenge their reporting, saying he was trying to 'bring the Daily Mail to the table' [2]. He claimed he did not publish identifiable images of the journalists’ families, and denied wanting to cause physical harm [3]. However, prosecutors argue that his actions—including sending threatening messages, posting a photo of Dirnhuber outside his home with the caption 'Got ya', and leaving a voicemail for the Mail’s editor-in-chief saying he had 'located every f***ing one of you'—were designed to instill fear.
Young and Dirnhuber both said they felt unsafe, with Dirnhuber leaving his home for a week and Young hiring private security after Robinson posted cropped images of his family [1]. Robinson insisted the journalists were scared of being 'humiliated' by the camera, not physically threatened [2]. He also said he did not ask the Daily Mail to remove the photo of his ex-wife, according to [3], though this claim has not been confirmed by other sources.
The trial continues, with the court hearing that Robinson’s online posts and the resulting backlash prompted threats from followers, including one urging violence against Dirnhuber [3]. Robinson claimed he did not know who sent those messages.
Sources
This article is based on reporting by the outlets below.
- BBC News: Trial hears Tommy Robinson hired private detectives
- Daily Mail: Tommy Robinson 'retaliated' to Daily Mail's race-riots expose by hiring private investigators to track down two journalists to their homes, court hears
- The Guardian: Tommy Robinson tells court he had photos taken of journalists’ homes to pressure them
