Thread: .Tommy Robinson begs Donald Trump to grant him political asylum in us

Tommy Robinson begs Donald Trump to give him asylum in the US as he faces jail for contempt of court

• Tommy Robinson has again been found to have been in contempt of court
• He was prosecuted after filming and confronting defendants outside abuse trial
• Robinson was jailed for the offence but freed on appeal - but faces jail again
• He said: 'I beg Donald Trump, I beg the American government, to look at my case. I need evacuation from this country because dark forces are at work'

By MARTIN ROBINSON, CHIEF REPORTER FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 07:16 BST, 9 July 2019 | UPDATED: 07:59 BST, 9 July 2019

Tommy Robinson today begged Donald Trump to give him asylum in the US claiming being sent to a British jail would be a 'death sentence'.

The former English Defence League leader, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, could face jail again for interfering with the trial of an Asian sex gang at Leeds Crown Court in May 2018.

Two High Court judges found him guilty of contempt of court at the Old Bailey last week - which carries up to two years in jail - for 'aggressively confronting and filming' defendants while the jury considered its verdicts.

Ahead of the sentencing on Thursday, Robinson pleaded with President Trump to let him live in America, saying being sent to prison in the UK would be like a 'death sentence'.

He told the far-right InfoWars website: 'I beg Donald Trump, I beg the American government, to look at my case. I need evacuation from this country because dark forces are at work.

'This is a direct appeal on behalf of my family – we love the United States, I have no future here [in Britain]. The country has fallen.'



Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has begged Donald Trump to give him asylum in the US


Tommy Robinson outside the Old Bailey in London after being found in contempt of court by High Court judges who may jail him on Thursday


Robinson claims he will be murdered in jail because he claims British prisons are 'controlled by jihadi gangs' - a claim disputed by the authorities in the UK.

Ugly scenes erupted outside the Old Bailey last week as police clashed with Tommy Robinson's supporters after the former English Defence League leader was again found in contempt of court.

Why Tommy Robinson was previously found in contempt of court and what it means

Why was Tommy Robinson jailed in May 2018?

Robinson was jailed after a judge at Leeds Crown Court found him in contempt of court in May.

The judge determined that Robinson's broadcasting of a video online breached a court order which postponed any reporting of a trial until the conclusion of another, linked, trial.

He was jailed within five hours of the video being filmed and posted online.

He was previously given a suspended sentence for contempt at Canterbury Crown Court, when a judge told him it was likely he would go to prison if he engaged in similar conduct in future.

What is contempt of court?

Contempt of court law exists to ensure the fairness and integrity of criminal trials.

Where a judge believes there is a 'substantial risk of serious prejudice' to a defendant, an order may be made under the Contempt of Court Act which postpones the reporting of a trial until its conclusion.

When making such an order, a judge has to balance the interests of justice in a fair trial taking place with other interests - including free speech and open justice.

In most cases where someone is alleged to be in contempt of court, the matter will be referred to the Attorney General.

Robinson could be sent back to jail after he was was found to have broken the law by 'aggressively confronting and filming' defendants in a criminal trial and posting the footage on social media, in breach of a reporting ban, outside Leeds Crown Court in May 2018.

Following a long-running legal back-and-forth, the case was settled at the Old Bailey today, where a large crowd of Robinson's fans turned nasty after the verdict.

Missiles and beer cans were thrown at journalists, and some Robinson supporters sprang from the crowd to film the reporters who surrounded the 36-year-old as he left court, calling them 'scum'.

Today High Court judges will reveal their reasons for finding Robinson committed contempt of court by filming defendants in a criminal trial and broadcasting the footage on social media.

Two senior judges found on Friday that the former English Defence League (EDL) leader was in contempt when he filmed men accused of the sexual exploitation of young girls and live-streamed the footage, in breach of a reporting ban, outside Leeds Crown Court in May 2018.

Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Warby, who reached their decision after a two-day hearing at the Old Bailey, will give their detailed reasons at the High Court on Tuesday.

Throughout the hearing, Robinson denied any wrongdoing, saying he did not believe he was breaching reporting restrictions and only referred to information that was already in the public domain.

But Dame Victoria and Mr Justice Warby found him in contempt in three respects.

Announcing their decision on Friday, Dame Victoria said Robinson was in contempt by breaching the reporting restriction imposed on the trial, by live-streaming the video from outside the public entrance to the court and by 'aggressively confronting and filming' some of the defendants.


A gang of Robinson's supporters shouted and chanted outside court following the verdict last week

She said the content of the video 'gave rise to a substantial risk that the course of justice in that case would be seriously impeded' and the confrontation of the defendants was a direct interference with the course of justice.
Timeline of the Tommy Robinson contempt of court case

May 25, 2018: Robinson is jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after Facebook Live protest outside a trial in Leeds.

May 27, 2018: Sentence sparks protests in London including outside Downing Street.

July 18, 2018: Robinson launches appeal.

August 1, 2018: Judges order his release and say he must face new hearing.

September 27, 2018: A new contempt of court case at the Old Bailey is adjourned after Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC asks for written submissions from all parties.

October 19, 2018: The Huddersfield grooming case is fully reported after the conclusion of all the trials.

October 23, 2018: After considering submissions, judge says case is 'too complex' and evidence must be considered by Attorney General.
March 7, 2019: Attorney General decides the case should be reheard.

May 14, 2019: High Court judges rule he will face new contempt of court proceedings

July 5, 2019: Robinson is found guilty and faces jail again

She added: 'In our judgment, the respondent's conduct in each of those respects amounted to a serious interference with the administration of justice.'

Robinson broadcast the footage on May 25, 2018 while the jury in the second of a series of linked grooming trials was considering its verdict.

A reporting restriction was in place which postponed the publication of any details of the case until the end of all the trials involving 29 people, in a bid to ensure all defendants received a fair trial.

The 36-year-old, from Luton, Bedfordshire, was jailed for 13 months after being found in contempt of court on the day of the broadcast.

The video lasted an hour-and-a-half and was viewed online 250,000 times after being live-streamed on Facebook.

He served two months in jail before being freed after that finding of contempt was overturned by the Court of Appeal in August 2018.

But the case was then referred back to the Attorney General, who announced in March that it was in the public interest to bring fresh proceedings against Robinson.

Dame Victoria and Mr Justice Warby gave permission for the Attorney General to bring a new case against Robinson at a hearing in May.
Robinson is expected to be sentenced on Thursday.

Contempt of court carries a maximum sentence of two years

.Tommy Robinson begs Donald Trump to grant him political asylum in us

Nope. We have enough nut bags with video cameras in this country aggressively chasing people down.

We do not want these foreign activists coming here.