Board welcomes prison sentence for Tommy Robinson
English Defence League founder Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known also as Tommy Robinson, was sent to prison for 18 months
The Board of Deputies have welcomed the jailing of English Defence League founder Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known also as Tommy Robinson.
He was sentenced to 18 months in jail on Monday for breaching a High Court order made in 2021 after admitting contempt of court for repeating false claims against a Syrian refugee.
Mr Justice Johnson, told Woolwich Crown Court on Monday that the far-right activist’s actions “suggest that he regards himself as above the law.”
The Board said: “This past summer we saw how such lies can lead directly to hideous consequences on the streets of our country.”
They added that the verdict “sends a message to all that spreading falsehoods and hatred will not be tolerated in our country”.
The Board praised the work of the anti-racism group Hope NOT Hate, adding: “We are, sadly. aware of many other in-progress cases which involve far-right, far-left and Islamist extremism.
“We urge continued efforts by the government, CPS and the police to tackle these threats to social cohesion and to our community’s safety and wellbeing”.
The far-right activists has repeatdly attempted to align himself with the Jewish community and with Israel in recent years.
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