An allegation of contempt of court against the British anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson has been sent to the country’s attorney general, the Press Association reported.
The far-right figurehead appeared at the Old Bailey courthouse in London on Tuesday morning for a retrial of allegations that he had broken media reporting rules.
He is accused of filming defendants before the trial of a group of men accused of grooming girls for underage sex in Leeds, northern England, last year.
However, no sooner had Tuesday’s hearing started than Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC ruled the case needed to go higher up for further consideration.
The 35-year-old, who appeared under his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was released on bail.
“I shouldn’t face another trial. I’ve been here three times with a prison bag,” he told hundreds of his supporters gathered outside the court. “I’ve kissed my kids goodbye three times.”
He said that he hoped “the attorney general will kick this into the long grass.”
The crowd shouted “Oh Tommy Robinson,” as he protested his innocence. “This political witch-hunt must end now,” he said
Robinson was freed from prison in August after three judges quashed a contempt of court finding made at Leeds Crown Court.
He argued that his case was heard too swiftly and that his sentence was excessive. Judges at the Court of Appeal agreed, dismissed the finding of contempt and ordered the case to be heard again.
Robinson’s cause has been taken up by prominent right-wing figures in the United States, including President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon.
The attorney general can throw out the case if he wishes.
