Tommy Robinson has been given a five-year stalking protection order after leaving a journalist feeling ‘unsafe and frightened to go outside’.
The English Defence League founder, 38, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, confronted Independent home affairs correspondent Lizzie Dearden at her home in Surrey Quays, southeast London, in January of this year.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard he began screaming abuse outside her building after learning she planned to write a negative story about his use of donations.
Robinson buzzed on the intercom and yelled ‘I know you’re inside’, before screaming unfounded allegations about Ms Dearden’s partner, Samuel Partridge, calling him a ‘paedophile’.
Deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram said his behaviour ‘crossed the line between mere harassment and stalking’ at a hearing on Wednesday.
The court previously heard how Robinson had hired a private investigator to find information out about Ms Dearden following a request for comment she made, through his solicitors, on a story alleging that he misused money donated by his supporters.
Mr Ikram said that after learning Ms Dearden’s address, Robinson had arrived around 10pm on January 17, calling for her to come to the door and shouting claims that Mr Partridge was a paedophile.
The magistrate ‘wholly rejected’ claims that Robinson attended the address to ‘exercise his right to reply’, saying he had been there to intimidate her and emphasising there was ‘not a shred of evidence’ that the claims about Mr Partridge were true.
He said: ‘The complainant refused to come out or engage with the defendant.
‘The defendant reacted by saying that he would come back to her address “every night”.
‘In my judgment, that crosses the line in this case between mere harassment and acts associated with stalking in that he threatened to repeatedly return to her home address.
‘The defendant was arrested before he could carry out his threat.
‘I find that the intention of the defendant turning up a journalist’s house at past 10pm was clear: to intimidate her.’
Mr Ikram also rejected Robinson’s claim he had been ‘calm’ throughout the incident, saying that it contradicted other undisputed witness accounts from neighbours.
He said Robinson had ‘pursued a course of conduct’ to intimidate Ms Dearden while she was carrying out ‘legitimate investigations’, adding: ‘In acting as he did, his actions sought to coerce and control the complainant in his desire to stop her going about her lawful business.’
The judge went on: ‘Ms Dearden has said she felt extremely shaken, distressed and unsafe and afraid to go outside.
‘The defendant clearly poses and continues to pose a risk to the complainant’s physical and psychological wellbeing.’
Robinson, who attended court in person and wore dark corduroy shirt and dark trousers, left part way through the hearing and did not return as the order was passed.
Under the conditions of the order Robinson is prohibited from contacting Ms Dearden or Mr Partridge, or attending any places where they live and work, unless specifically invited for interview.
He is also prohibited from publishing any material concerning, or making any reference to Ms Dearden or Mr Partridge, directly or indirectly, on any websites, on social media, or in print.
Robinson will be able to respond to the judgment and future articles written by Ms Dearden with ‘legitimate comment’ but without reference to his allegations against Mr Partridge.
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