Independent journalist and European Parliament candidate Tommy Robinson will face another contempt trial for his live-streaming about a child grooming gang.
The retrial has been set for July 4-5.
The judge’s decision comes despite the fact that Robinson already served ten weeks in prison before previous contempt charges over the same incident were overturned in the Court of Appeal. Their ruling that found he was improperly tried, convicted, sentenced and imprisoned.
Robinson told Gateway Pundit during the hearing that he believed there was a “100% chance” that the judge would rule that he could be retried, as it is highly political and elections are coming up.
Last May, Robinson was arrested for contempt of court while filming outside the trial of a Pakistani grooming gang in Leeds, as the case was under a reporting ban. The arrest and same-day imprisonment led to thousands of people going out in the streets to protest.
Approximately three months after Robinson’s imprisonment, the charge was struck down by Lord Chief Justice Burnett and two other judges, and he was released. The court, however, left the option open to try him again for the same incident.
On Tuesday, the Attorney General claimed that Robinson’s livestream encouraged his supporters to show up at the trial that he was covering and harass the defendants. They argued that he was intimidating the now-convicted child rapists by being present with his camera and telling his viewers that “by the end of the day, hopefully millions of people will have seen the faces of these alleged offenders.”
The Attorney General actually argued that he should face another trial for being mean to a convicted child rapist!
https://twitter.com/ezralevant/status/1128305359813263361?s=21
Speaking to the Gateway Pundit in the courtroom, Robinson noted that he was chased into the building on his way to this hearing by a slew of cameras and people yelling at him, but the court did nothing to prevent it. He also pointed out that Independent journalist Lizzie Dearden ignored a reporting ban the same weekend he did — but was never charged.
Robinson’s barrister countered the arguments from the AG by asserting that his client has already been punished for the matter. He was held in solitary for 10 weeks prior to the conviction being thrown out the first time. In the United States, this would be considered double jeopardy.
The Attorney General’s representation argued that a retrial would be in the public interest, but noted that “if the court was satisfied that there was serious unfairness it may very well refuse permission.” However, he went on to add that another trial would “safeguard the public course of justice.”
The AG also attempted to make the case that the contempt charge was valid because of “potential jury influence.” The problem with this argument is that the jury had already deliberated when Robinson was arrested for his reporting.
During his closing, Robinson’s lawyer pointed out that the attorney general is presently exploring, outside of this case, what limits should apply to citizen journalists.
Though reporters were told upon arrival that we would be allowed to live tweet the proceedings, a mainstream reporter was not pleased with Rebel Media’s Ezra Levant’s posts. They actually halted the hearing by handing the judge a note complaining that another journalist was tweeting. The judge confirmed that reporters were indeed allowed to post on social media.
As you may recall, Tommy was arrested; taken to a police station; brought before the judge in Leeds; was the subject of a 10-minute drum-head trial without proper counsel; and was shipped off to prison immediately for a 13-year term.
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) May 14, 2019
While the court was in recess, Levant called out BBC reporter Dominic Casciani for calling the police on him during a prior hearing over him taking a short video of Robinson in the courthouse cafeteria. You are not allowed to take photos or videos inside the building, but it was a seemingly minor indescretion. The Rebel Media founder called the reporter a “state journalist” and a “little thug.”
Robinson’s reporting and activism is heavily focused on Islamic extremism. His imprisonment last year stemmed from it being his second offense, as he previously attempted to film Muslim men who were on trial for their participation in another grooming gang in Canterbury. He has vowed that if he is elected he will donate his MEP salary to charities that help survivors of child grooming gangs.
As with every Robinson court appearance, a large rally in support of him gathered outside. They sang the “Tommy” song while boisterously taunting the small amount of counter protesters that were set up across the street.
The anti-Robinson protesters held a large mock milkshake with “do you want fries with that?” scrawled across the front, in reference to two recent incidents in which activists threw milkshakes at the independent candidate. They repeatedly swore through a loud speaker and called for Robinson to “burn in hell.”
Upon Robinson’s arrival, media swarmed him — delaying the approved press, including Gateway Pundit, from getting inside.
https://twitter.com/cassandrarules/status/1128277011011706881?s=21
Inside the Old Bailey, loud chants of “Oh Tommy, Tommy” could be heard clearly as we went through security.
Speaking to the Gateway Pundit prior to one of his hearings last year, Robinson explained how he told his young children that he may have to go back to prison.
“I explained this to my son last week, I told him ‘look at your 11-year-old sister — these men are doing terrible things’,” he stopped, overcome with emotion. “Say I go to prison, if there was a girl like your sister and bad men were doing terrible things — and me going to jail saves just one girl — would you want me to go?”
His son said yes.
