Tommy Robinson case - live: EDL founder's supporters attack journalists after he is jailed for contempt of court
Live updates from Old Bailey hearing
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Tommy Robinson has been sent back to prison for encouraging ”vigilante action” against defendants in a grooming gang trial during a video livestreamed on Facebook.
The founder of the English Defence League was found in contempt of court last week over the film, which breached reporting restrictions on the case in Leeds in May 2018 and came close to collapsing the case against the guilty men.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was originally jailed for 13 months last year but was freed on appeal.
Appearing at the Old Bailey today, he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, reduced to 19 weeks because of time already served. The maximum sentence available to the judges was two years' imprisonment.
Follow live updates from court in our liveblog below
Says the grooming gang trial at Leeds was an important one. "The contempts we have found proved were not ones of deliberate defiance. In the event neither the trial nor the trial that followed were prejudiced. Nevertheless his conduct amounted to a serious contempt."
Says Robinson showed a "reckless disobedience".
One aggravating feature was Robinson's previous offending and suspended sentence for contempt. He has 11 convictions, including for violence.
"We are in no doubt a custodial threshold is passed in this case. Nothing less than a custodial penalty would reflect the gravity of the conduct."
"The main purpose of the penalty in this case is deterrence."
She say the court is also determined to uphold the rule of law and "ensure future compliance with orders of the court."
The maximum possible sentence is two years, but there are no sentencing guidelines, says Dame Victoria Sharp.
Says that Robinson cannot have a reduction for admission or guilt or for remorse.
"The least appropriate penalty is one of six months," she says, referring to the contempt found in relation to Leeds Crown Court. Judge says they have decided that only immediate custody is commensurate with case.
Judge says will activate suspended sentence for previous contempt at Canterbury, to run consecutively.
Penalty reduced by 138 days to reflect time already served.
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