Far-right activist and self-proclaimed journalist Tommy Robinson, legally known as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been acquitted of terrorism charges in the UK, avoiding potential jail time. The verdict follows a high-profile legal battle financially backed by tech mogul Elon Musk. The charges stemmed from an incident earlier this year when Robinson was stopped by police at the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone while en route to Benidorm, Spain. Officers, acting under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, detained him after he provided vague responses to their questions and refused to grant access to his phone, citing confidential journalistic material. During the two-day trial, Robinson’s defense argued that the police action was a baseless ‘fishing expedition,’ with no evidence from MI5 linking him to terrorism. Judge Sam Goozee ruled in Robinson’s favor, expressing concerns that the stop may have been motivated by his controversial beliefs rather than legitimate security concerns. Following the verdict, Robinson publicly thanked Musk on X (formerly Twitter), crediting the billionaire’s financial support for his legal victory. Robinson, who has a history of legal issues and has built a reputation for stoking anti-Islamic sentiments, remains a polarizing figure in the UK.
Tommy Robinson thanks Elon Musk for defence funds as he’s cleared of terror charge
