Tommy Robinson References Photos of Journalists’ Homes in Harassment Trial

The far-right activist Tommy Robinson, currently on trial for harassment, alleged he retained private investigators to locate journalists who had reported on his purported role in the 2024 riots. He reportedly arranged for photographs of their homes to be taken ‘to put pressure’ on them.

Robinson, whose legal name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, denied in court that his conduct—including sharing images of one journalist’s wife and daughter—was intended to intimidate or bully. ‘I’m not coming to beat them up … they know that,’ he stated, referencing messages, phone calls, and a voicemail left for the Daily Mail editor after he paid to acquire the editor’s personal number.

He faces two counts of harassment causing fear of violence against MailOnline journalists Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber in 2024. Robinson has pleaded not guilty to these charges.

Testifying on Thursday, Robinson claimed it was ‘totally reasonable’ to publish a photo of Dirnhuber at his home, explaining he was ‘in a race against time’ to urge the Mail to remove a photo of his ex-wife. The Mail had published the image with the headline: ‘Stoking race riots from his sunbed’.

However, he conceded that in his communications with the journalists, a phone call with one of them, and a voicemail to Mail editor-in-chief Ted Verity, he did not request the removal of the image.

Robinson maintained he was ‘restrained’ in the voicemail to Verity, during which he said he would make him and his family famous, and told the journalists he would obtain their addresses because he was ‘using it as a play card’.

Prosecutor Ben Holt questioned Robinson about Dirnhuber and his partner being forced to leave their home due to threatening emails, and about Young’s family also considering relocation. Robinson said: ‘The entire situation, I wish didn’t happen, I wish that none of that had happened.’ He added: ‘I was unfortunately in a situation where I was panicked.’

Addressing the journalists’ perspectives, Robinson told Southwark Crown Court: ‘They know I’m not going to beat them up. They know that.’

Holt continued: ‘They are scared of you, Mr Lennon.’ Robinson replied: ‘They are not scared of physical violence from me.’

Robinson was also questioned about messages and online posts directed at the journalists after he began using his own X account to tweet about them, including a post from an X user telling Dirnhuber they would beat the ‘fuck’ out of him.

Asked if he appreciated such messages were ‘generated’ by his output, Robinson said: ‘I don’t agree with any of these messages … I don’t know who sent these messages. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.’

Robinson was in Cyprus in early August 2024, when violence broke out across England following the murder of three girls in Southport. He told the jury he was with ‘my ex-wife, my three children and three other families and their children’.

On the witness stand, Robinson claimed he had not ‘stoked’ the riots but instead sought to calm the situation.

The first day of the trial at Southwark Crown Court was told on Monday that journalists and their family members had to flee their homes after Robinson deployed ‘bullyboy, intimidatory tactics’.

The trial was adjourned until Friday.

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