The trial of Tommy Robinson where the process is the punishment!
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I first made contact with Tommy Robinson in and around 2015 if my memory is right. He was publishing his first book “Enemy of the State” and he connected me and asked would I review it. I agree to do so and found it a reasonable account of his life in Luton up until that point and the way in which he felt has treated as an enemy of the State for pointing out the some of the issues with Islam in the UK.
We have come a long way since then but I have always felt that whilst a bit of a rough diamond, Tommy has been a force for good.
However that was then and 11 years later, as I publish this, Tommy Robinson is currently on trial on two counts of harassment causing fear of violence. The Verdict is imminent and by the time some of you read this we may know if he is found guilty or innocent. In the UK, if someone is found guilty of this criminal charge, a possible jail sentence of 10 years is possible. If found guilty on both charges that would be 20 years. However, that actual sentencing is extremely unlikely and a 3-6 year stretch is more likely. That might be reduced to 18 months but it’s still a terrible sword of Damocles hanging over him, his family and all those who value his work.
Another aspect to this case is that IF Tommy Robinson is found guilty it would set legal precedence and online activism could then be viewed as criminal harassment. In other words free speech would be further criminalised depending on the circumstances and who is getting the heat. That should send a chill into everyone reading this because it could leave YOU open to charge if you say something that hurts the feeling of a litigious person on social media.
At this point, as we await the verdict of the jury, I wanted to give you a very brief overview of what the case is about.
The two counts against him relate to two counts of harassment. After the Mail Online revealed the location of his Cyprus Hotel in the aftermath of the Southport protests along with an image of his wife, he posted the journalists home addresses and family pics on X, leaving a voicemail saying “expect me to come knocking”. Robinson says this was not a threat but rather the fact he was panicked about his family’s safety and he only wanted to film the journalists concerned.
Now when you see it in black and white, you might conclude that Tommy was injudicious in his actions and would have done better to not engage. However that ignores the massive pressure he was under back then. He believed that his family’s safety had been compromised by the Mail Online journalists and he responded in kind. I sympathise with Tommy and I get why he did what he did. But it leaves him wide open to this kind of establishment stitch-up. And I fear for him.
Watching him go in and other of Southwark Crown Court these past few weeks, a few things struck me. Firstly, Tommy looks gaunt and haggard. He has lost weight and I am sure this must be down to the sheer pressure. I cannot conceive how he copes with it all but all I know for certain is we should not underestimate what this can do to a human being. The other thing is I have listened to those few interviews he has given during the trial and in all of them you can clearly detect the stress he is living under. He talks even faster than normal and I think he himself fears for what lies in store. Who can blame him?
When all is said and done, Tommy Robinson has done more good than harm. He has exposed a lot of the Muslim Rape Gangs and show how the mainstream and police play cover for them. That’s an unforgivable crime and I suggest that is why his persecution is endless. You see the process is the punishment every bit as much as any prison cell.
Back in January of last year, I was proud to speak at a rally by Unite the Kingdom calling for the release from prison then of Tommy Robinson. It was my honour. I fully understand that he is imperfect, but which of us in any different? Sometimes I think he overreacts and that can be a bad habit. Stepping away is sometimes the better option if you want to avoid ending up in Court. But it is also fully understandable the provocations thrown his way, the demonisation of his work and the exposure of his personal life.
Let’s see what the Jury decides but I personally feel that this is just more persecution of an enemy of the State who hasn’t backed down!
