Tommy Robinson is to be released from prison within the next week after his 18-month sentence for contempt of court was reduced by four months at the High Court.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was jailed for 18 months in October after admitting multiple breaches of an injunction made in 2021, which barred him from repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him for libel.
The sentence comprised a 14-month “punitive” element and a four-month “coercive” element.
At the time, sentencing judge Mr Justice Johnson told Robinson he could have the latter element taken off his sentence if he were to “purge” his contempt by taking steps to comply with the injunction.
The far-right activist was due to be released on 26 July, but had applied to the court to purge his contempt order.
Lawyers for the Solicitor General said that they agreed that Robinson had taken steps to adhere to his injunction.
In a ruling on last tuesday, Mr Justice Johnson said that there was an “absence of contrition or remorse” from Robinson, but that he had shown a “change in attitude” since being sentenced.
He said: “He (Robinson) has given an assurance that he will comply with the injunction in the future, that he has no intention of breaching it again, and that he is aware of the consequences of what would happen if he breached the injunction again.”
He continued: “I consider it appropriate to grant the application.”
He also added: “The practical effect, subject to confirmation by the prison authorities, is that the defendant will be released once he has completed the punitive element, which I understand will be within the next week.”
Robinson attended the hearing via video-link from HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes.
He showed no immediate reaction when the judgment was handed down.
Why was Tommy Robinson imprisoned:
After being jailed, Robinson lost his bid to bring a legal challenge against the Ministry of Justice over his segregation from other prisoners behind bars in March.
He then lost a challenge to his sentence at the Court of Appeal in April, but three senior judges said he could “still reduce the period he has to spend in custody by taking the steps identified” by Mr Justice Johnson.
The injunction was issued after Robinson was successfully sued by Jamal Hijazi, a then-schoolboy who was assaulted at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in October 2018.
After a clip of the incident went viral, Robinson made false claims on Facebook, including about Mr Hijazi attacking girls in his school, leading to the libel case.
Mr Justice Nicklin ordered Robinson to pay Mr Hijazi £100,000 in damages and his legal costs, as well as making the injunction preventing Robinson from repeating the allegations about Mr Hijazi.
