Tommy Robinson used 'bully-boy' tactics to harass two Daily Mail journalists, court hears

Tommy Robinson used 'bullyboy, intimidatory tactics' to threaten two Mail journalists, a court heard today.

The activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, sent photographers to their addresses and circulated images of their homes to his millions of social media followers, prosecutors said.

The two journalists, Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber, 'feared for their own personal safety'.

Robinson – or Lennon, as he was referred to in court – denies two charges of harassment causing fear of violence.

The founder of the English Defence League greeted supporters outside Southwark Crown Court when he arrived for his five-day trial.

Opening the case, prosecutor Ben Holt said Lennon, 43, had targeted the journalists in response to what he perceived to be 'an unnecessary intrusion into his holiday'.

He told jurors: 'What he did, we say, was to intimidate those journalists.

'He chose to frighten them, arrange for individuals to go to their addresses.

'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 prosecutor told the jury of nine women and three men the allegations dated back to the summer of 2024, when there was widespread unrest across England following the Southport tragedy in which three young girls were stabbed to death at a dance event.

Mr Holt said that, during some of the anti-immigrant protests, Lennon had posted tweets on his X account from his holiday in Cyprus.

Mr Dirnhuber sent reporter Mr Young and a photographer to Cyprus, where they took pictures of Lennon reclining on a sunbed using his mobile phone.

Mr Dirnhuber was aware of the prime minister making a speech referencing individuals 'who were whipping up trouble and running away', jurors were told.

They were shown the Daily Mail's front page from August 5, with a photo of Lennon and the headline: 'Stoking race riots from his sunbed.'

Mr Holt told the members of the jury that they 'may or may not agree' with the editorial call taken by the Daily Mail, and may have their own views generally about the Mail.

But he told them this trial was not about that, but about Lennon's reaction to the journalists whom he perceived had intruded on his holiday.

Mr Holt said Lennon could have complained about the newspaper to the independent Press regulator, IPSO, but had not done so. Instead, he sent photographers to the journalists' home addresses.

'This is what this trial is actually about,' said Mr Holt. 'The prosecution say this defendant, using bully-boy, intimidatory tactics, threatened the journalists.

'He put pictures, albeit redacted, of them out on his timeline on X for the enjoyment and appreciation of his followers.

'And, as a result, the journalists feared for their own personal safety and also for their own family, either being forced to leave home or employ security personnel to watch their home address.'

Lennon allegedly sent Mr Dirnhuber a message saying 'I'll be knocking on your door'.

When one of the activist's followers posted a photo of Mr Dirnhuber outside his home address, the far-Right leader reposted it with the words 'Got ya', adding: 'I got all three of you tagged & bagged in 1 day'.

He allegedly phoned Mr Young and was 'swearing and shouting', saying he had researched Mr Young's family. 'Mr Lennon became, in Mr Young's words, increasingly menacing,' said the prosecutor. Mr Young believes he told him: 'I'm coming to get you', and he repeatedly asked Mr Young 'if he thought it was fair that he had "doxxed" his children by exposing his holiday location'. 

A man identifying himself as 'Tommy Robinson' also left a voicemail on the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Mail's mobile phone saying: 'I've already located every f***ing one of you.'

Lennon, wearing a blue checked waistcoat and white shirt, listened as the prosecution outlined the case against him.

Jurors were told he had answered 'no comment' to all questions when police first interviewed him, on December 9, 2024. When detectives interviewed him a second time, two days later, he provided a prepared statement.

It said the Mail article had identified the hotel where he had been staying in Cyprus with his family and he was 'suddenly overrun with news crews taking photos and filming my children'. He said his children had been 'scared and upset'.

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

Mr Holt said: 'His case is that his family had been put in danger by the actions of the Daily Mail. A phrase we will hear a few times in this case is, "What is good for the goose is good for the gander".

'He acted as he did to protect his family – as such, he says, his conduct was reasonable.'

The trial judge, Mr Justice Cavanagh, told the jury the defendant was a 'prominent activist and commentator' adding: 'If you have any opinions about the defendant, you must put those complaints to one side.

'This is not a trial about, or an assessment of, the defendant's political views.'

The prosecutor said: 'You will all probably have heard of him and about him. You might have your own views about him and what he stands for; both for and against. You must put those feelings aside during the course of this case.'

The trial continues.