Freelance journalist Andrew Young said Tommy Robinson threatened to post photos of his family online, an account read to a London jury hearing harassment charges tied to reporters’ coverage of Robinson’s Cyprus trip.
PA Media reported that Young’s witness statement described a phone call from someone identifying himself as Robinson. Young said the caller claimed to have researched his family and told him he would have to move home. Young also said he feared that some of Robinson’s 800,000 followers on X at the time might retaliate against him or his family.
Robinson, whose legal name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has pleaded not guilty. The Crown Prosecution Service authorized the Metropolitan Police to charge Robinson with two counts of harassment causing fear of violence. Court reports identify Young and MailOnline journalist Jacob Dirnhuber as the complainants. It said the alleged conduct took place between Aug. 5 and Aug. 7, 2024.
The journalists had covered Robinson’s activities in Cyprus after the 2024 Southport killings. At the trial’s opening on Oct. 19, prosecutors said his actions followed MailOnline’s coverage of the trip. The Guardian reported that prosecutor Ben Holt said Robinson believed the reporting had put his own family at risk.
Dirnhuber said he and his partner left their home while security arrangements were made, PA Media reported. Jurors also heard a voicemail in which Robinson promised publicity for Daily Mail editor-in-chief Ted Verity, other Mail journalists and their families.
The trial began Oct. 19 at Southwark Crown Court in London. PA Media reported that it was expected to last five days.
