Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League (EDL), has been jailed for 13 months for contempt of court.
The 35-year-old’s sentence can be revealed after a judge lifted reporting restrictions on the case on Tuesday.
Robinson was arrested on Friday after broadcasting an hour-long video over Facebook from outside Leeds Crown Court. In the video, he made comments that risked causing a trial to collapse.
Robinson pleaded guilty to contempt of court. He was arrested, charged and sentenced within five hours.
A court order is in place to prevent any reporting of the details of the trial in question. Another court order preventing reporting of Robinson’s arrest and the subsequent court proceedings was lifted on Tuesday after a challenge by Leeds Live and the London Independent.
The restriction was put in place temporarily to prevent reporting on the Robinson case from prejudicing the outcome of the first trial. It was lifted after a judge heard submissions that Robinson’s case was being widely discussed on social media. Right-wing activists claimed that the restriction amounted to state censorship.
In the video, Robinson attempted to film defendants entering the court and spoke about the case. The video was viewed more than 250,000 times.
Robinson's arrest provoked protests in Whitehall on Saturday, which could not be reported by the media until now.
Supporters were seen carrying placards reading “#FreeTommy” and shouting “Shame on you”. – Guardian