Right-wing activist Tommy Robinson has claimed billionaire Elon Musk is bankrolling his legal defence as he stood trial accused of refusing to hand over his mobile phone password to counter-terrorism police.
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, 42, better known by his pseudonym Tommy Robinson, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged under the Terrorism Act after allegedly frustrating police powers at the Channel Tunnel in July 2024.
In a video posted on social media before his trial began, the controversial figure declared that Musk, who owns social media platform X, had picked up the legal bill for this absolute state persecution.
The billionaire tech entrepreneur, who often reposts Robinson’s messages on X and appeared at one of his rallies by videolink, has not publicly commented on the claim.
Channel Tunnel Stop Sparks Legal Battle
The court heard that Robinson was detained by police under counter-terrorism powers on 28 July 2024 as he drove a silver Bentley SUV through border security at the Channel Tunnel terminal in Folkestone, southeast England.
Prosecutor Jo Morris told the court that PC Mitchell Thorogood, a counter-terrorism officer with Kent Police, was on duty policing vehicles travelling to France when he spotted the high-value vehicle with a lone driver.
The officer described seeing the unusual car come through and said he had a belief it was Robinson before he stopped the vehicle.
PC Thorogood told the court he asked Robinson where he was going and was unhappy with the account given. He was travelling a far distance with a vehicle that wasn’t his, the officer explained.
Robinson said he was heading to Benidorm in southern Spain and had not bought a ticket in advance, which the officer said was also unusual. The activist notably refused to maintain eye contact during the encounter.
Journalist Material Defence
Officers seized Robinson’s iPhone and requested he provide the password number to access the device under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act.
However, Robinson refused, telling police he would not give up the PIN because he did not want them to see his journalistic material, the court was told.
Under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, anyone detained at a UK port can be held for up to six hours and is legally obliged to answer questions and provide passwords or PINs for electronic devices.
Failure to comply constitutes a criminal offence, with those found guilty facing up to three months imprisonment and a £2,500 fine.
Officers also discovered a small bag in the Bentley containing £13,370 in cash and €1,910, equivalent to approximately £1,660.
Robinson allegedly used an expletive at police officers during the encounter at the border crossing.
Discriminatory Stop Claims
Alisdair Williamson KC, defending Robinson, suggested the stop may have been discriminatory against his client’s political beliefs.
District Judge Sam Goozee ruled that Robinson’s address should not be published after the barrister said there were credible threats against his life.
The public gallery at the back of court was packed with more than 30 of Robinson’s supporters, who had queued from early morning to secure seats. One attendee was spotted wearing a red MEGA baseball cap, styled after Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan but reading Make England Great Again.
Flag-Bearer for British Nationalists
Robinson has become a prominent flag-bearer for some British nationalists and one of the country’s most high-profile anti-migration campaigners.
He recently organised a large rally in London which attracted approximately 150,000 people, with Musk appearing at the event by videolink to express his support.
The 42-year-old co-founded the English Defence League, an anti-Islam street protest movement, in 2009 and led it until October 2013. He has also been affiliated with the British National Party and briefly served as joint vice-chairman of the British Freedom Party.
Robinson often presents himself as an independent journalist exposing wrongdoing that mainstream media ignore.
String of Criminal Convictions
Critics denounce Robinson as a right-wing rabble-rouser with an extensive criminal history spanning nearly two decades.
His convictions include assault in 2005, using a false passport to enter the United States in 2012, mortgage fraud in 2014, and multiple contempt of court charges.
Most recently, he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in October 2024 for contempt of court after breaching an injunction by repeatedly libelling a Syrian refugee schoolboy.
Robinson has also faced significant financial troubles, with reports in August 2024 indicating he owed approximately £2 million to creditors.
Investigations revealed he and associates had created a web of secretive companies which made profits of over £1.6 million without paying tax, with one company owing £328,000 in corporation tax and employer contributions to HMRC.
Musk’s Controversial Support
The Tesla and SpaceX owner has become increasingly vocal in his support for Robinson, previously calling for British authorities to free the activist from prison.
Robinson’s representatives said on Telegram that Musk and his team at X had agreed to provide support for two specific legal cases, describing the assistance as unexpected and generous.
The billionaire’s backing of Robinson has caused friction with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has made clear over several years that he does not want the activist in his political party.
Speaking at Reform UK’s East Midlands conference, Farage said Musk had a whole range of opinions, some of which he agreed with very strongly, and others about which he was more reticent.
The disagreement escalated when Musk tweeted that Reform UK needs a new leader because Farage doesn’t have what it takes, to which Farage responded that he maintains Robinson is not right for Reform and never sells out his principles.
State Persecution Claims
Robinson denies wilfully failing to comply with a duty imposed by the Terrorism Act, maintaining he is targeted by the state for exposing wrongdoing.
The two-day trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court is due to conclude on Tuesday, with Robinson having sat in the dock wearing a waistcoat and tie throughout Monday’s proceedings.
He was observed pacing up and down looking at his phone during breaks in the trial.
If found guilty, Robinson could face up to three months in jail and a £2,500 fine, adding to his already lengthy list of criminal convictions.
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Image Credit:
Tommy Robinson — photo by Shayan Barjesteh van Waalwijk van Doorn, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
