Tommy Robinson, a prominent right wing activist in the U.K., will be released from prison Wednesday after a judge ruled he was not given an adequate opportunity to defend himself while being tried for violating a court gag order.
Robinson, whose given name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, was found guilty on contempt of court charges in May for live streaming footage of defendants in a criminal trial that was subject to reporting restrictions- a common practice in England intended to preserve the integrity of the proceedings.
The 35-year-old English Defence League founder was sentenced to a total of 13 months in prison but will be released later today after an appeals court found the judge who sentenced him rushed the trial and, by failing to specify exactly which part of Robinson’s live stream was problematic, denied him the opportunity to defend himself.
“It was unclear what conduct was said to comprise a breach of that order and the appellant was sentenced on the basis of conduct which fell outside the scope of that order,” the judgement read.
Robinson is scheduled to return to court later this year for a retrial. Though Robinson did not attend the hearing, a crowd of supporters wearing “Free Tommy” tee shirts gathered outside the Leeds the courthouse and celebrated his newfound freedom.
The footage Robinson recorded outside of the trial, which was viewed more than 250,000 times on Facebook, included the defendants names and the charges against them.
“Everyone understands the right to freedom of speech but there are responsibilities and obligations. I am not sure you appreciate the potential consequence of what you have done. People have to understand that if they breach court orders there will be very real consequences,” the judge said in sentencing Robinson for violating the gag order.
It was not the first instance in which Robinson violated a court gag order. In 2017, he was given a suspended sentence for broadcasting outside the trial of four men convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl.