Robinson’s 18-month sentence for the civil offence of contempt of court was reduced by four months at the High Court
Tommy Robinson is due to be released from prison within the next week after his 18-month sentence for the civil offence of contempt of court was reduced by four months at the High Court.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was jailed in October after admitting multiple breaches of an injunction made in 2021, which barred him from repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him for libel.
The sentence comprised a 14-month “punitive” element and a four-month “coercive” element, with sentencing judge Mr Justice Johnson telling Robinson he could have the latter taken off his sentence if he were to “purge” his contempt by taking steps to comply with the injunction.
The 42-year-old, who was previously due to be released on July 26, applied to purge his contempt at a hearing on Tuesday, with his lawyers telling the court that he had shown a “commitment” to comply with the order.
In a ruling, Mr Justice Johnson said that there was an “absence of contrition or remorse” from Robinson, but that he had shown a “change in attitude” since he was sentenced.
He said: “He (Robinson) has given an assurance that he will comply with the injunction in the future, that he has no intention of breaching it again, and that he is aware of the consequences of what would happen if he breached the injunction again.”
He continued: “I consider it appropriate to grant the application.”
He added: “The practical effect, subject to confirmation by the prison authorities, is that the defendant will be released once he has completed the punitive element, which I understand will be within the next week.”
Robinson, who attended the hearing via video-link from HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, showed no immediate reaction once the judgment was handed down.
He was jailed last year for 10 admitted breaches of the injunction, after the Solicitor General issued two contempt claims against him, alleging he “knowingly” breached the order on four occasions.
These incidents included having “published, caused, authorised or procured” a film called Silenced, which contains the libellous allegations, in May 2023.
The film was pinned to the top of Robinson’s profile on the social media site X, while he also repeated the claims in three interviews between February and June 2023.
The second claim was issued in August last year and related to six further breaches, including playing the film at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in central London last summer.
Lawyers for the Solicitor General told a previous hearing it was a “flagrant” breach of the court order.
Passing sentence at the time, Mr Justice Johnson said the breaches of the injunction were not “accidental, negligent or merely reckless” and that the “custodial threshold is amply crossed”.
Robinson lost a bid to bring a legal challenge against the Ministry of Justice over his segregation from other prisoners behind bars in March.
He also lost a challenge to his sentence at the Court of Appeal in April, but three senior judges said he could “still reduce the period he has to spend in custody by taking the steps identified” by Mr Justice Johnson.
Additional reporting by PA News Agency.
This is a breaking news story and it is being updated