Tommy Robinson 'intimidated' Daily Mail reporters, trial hears
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By Daniel Sandford, UK correspondent, at Southwark Crown Court and Louise Parry
Published 19 October 2026, 13:56 BST
Updated 3 minutes ago
Political activist Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) used "bully-boy, intimidatory tactics" to frighten two Daily Mail journalists, forcing them to employ security or leave home, a court has heard.
The 43-year-old, from Bedfordshire, is charged with two counts of harassment causing fear of violence towards reporters Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber.
Opening the trial, prosecutor Ben Holt said the case was about Yaxley-Lennon's reaction to what he perceived to be "an unnecessary intrusion into his holiday" after the 2024 Southport attacks.
Robinson, who founded the English Defence League, entered not guilty pleas to the charges in July last year.
Judge Mr Justice Cavanagh told the jury: "This is not a trial about or an assessment of the defendant's political views."
Ben Holt described Yaxley-Lennon as a "well-known public figure" with a "large, vocal online following" of over two million on social media platform X.
Robinson posted on X before the trial began, thanking Elon Musk for funding his case and stating that his court fees to date had cost him £400,000.
After the murders of three young girls in Southport on 29 July 2024, Yaxley-Lennon's social media posts alerted the Daily Mail and Mail Online to his location in Cyprus.
The Daily Mail published articles featuring photographs of Robinson, including one of him "reclining on a sunbed using his mobile telephone."
Over the following days, Yaxley-Lennon responded with a series of posts on X, including:
- "The daily mail have purposely gave the location of where I am with my children knowing full well that people want to kill me."
- "The daily mail have purposely doxed the exact location of my family. How can they be allowed to do this?"
There were no identifiable pictures of Yaxley-Lennon's children published by the Daily Mail or Mail Online, jurors were told.
Holt said the trial was about Yaxley-Lennon's reaction to the articles, and accused him of using "bully-boy tactics" to "intimidate" the journalists.
"He chose to frighten them, arrange for individuals to go to their addresses," said the prosecuting counsel.
"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 court heard that on 5 August, Dirnhuber received a number of direct messages from Robinson/Yaxley-Lennon, including "you have endangered my children."