Tommy Robinson tells court he tried to pressure a journalist but denies threats

Tommy Robinson has told a court he was panicked and terrified after the Daily Mail published a story about him while he was on a family holiday, as he denies harassing two journalists.

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, 43, who uses the name Tommy Robinson and founded the English Defence League, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court on two counts of harassment causing fear of violence. The charges concern two male journalists at the Daily Mail and Mail Online. He entered not guilty pleas in July last year and denies both counts. The judge, Mr Justice Kavanagh, told the jury that this was not a trial about Robinson's views or activities.

The prosecution says the case dates back to the Southport riots in summer 2024. After the fatal stabbings of three girls at a dance class, the Daily Mail and Mail Online published articles about Robinson. One front page showed a picture of him on holiday in Cyprus under a headline accusing him of stoking race riots from his sunbed. The paper sent a reporter, Andrew Young, to take pictures. Mail Online ran further stories.

Prosecutors allege that in the days that followed Robinson used what they called bully boy and intimidation tactics to frighten the journalists behind the stories. They say he used social media posts, messages and a phone call. They allege he told Andrew Young 'I'm coming to get you' and sent Jacob Dirnhuber a message saying 'I'll be knocking at your door'. He also posted a picture of Dirnhuber outside his home with the label 'Gotcha', the court heard. The prosecution says one journalist felt he had to leave his home and another was given close protection. The journalists feared that Robinson's supporters might take violent revenge, rather than fearing a direct approach from Robinson, the court was told.

Robinson's defence is that he acted to protect his family and believed his response was reasonable. On the fourth day of the trial, he gave evidence in his own defence. He said the Daily Mail article showed a picture of his ex-wife, who is not in the public eye, and identified the hotel where he was staying with his three children. He said he had received death threats in the past and went into a total panic. He told the court: 'They could have run the story without giving the location. This is not journalism. This is endangering us.' He said he wanted the paper to remove a picture of his wife and that he had not intended to cause fear.

Under cross-examination, prosecutor Ben Holt asked Robinson whether he had been threatening the journalists. Robinson replied: 'No, not like that. It wasn't like that.' Asked if he was bullying one reporter, he said: 'I'm not going to try and deny I was trying to pressure him.' He said he felt his actions were reasonable in the circumstances. Later he said: 'I don't think I'm being threatening. I'm giving you a warning to journalists. I'm just saying, do your job.' When Holt suggested the message amounted to 'I'm coming for you', Robinson said: 'I'm not coming to beat you up. They know that.'

The court heard that Robinson became visibly emotional when his barrister asked about the impact of his notoriety on his relationship with his children. His face went red, he took tissues and paused for about 15 seconds before not answering the question. He spent the morning in the witness box. Several dozen supporters sat behind him in court. Outside court, he briefly spoke to reporters and said his defence costs would be covered by Elon Musk. The trial is expected to continue until the end of the week.