TOMMY Robinson was moved to a closed wing in jail amid fears he’d be killed by a lifer who put a “mark on his head”, a court heard today.
The far-Right activist – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – was locked up for 18 months in October for contempt of court.
PATommy Robinson has been placed in segregation while in jail[/caption]
Robinson is battling to bring a legal challenge after he was “segregated” from other inmates at HMP Woodhill in Buckinghamshire.
But the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is fighting against the bid as Robinson was isolated following threats to his safety – including fears he would be assaulted by other prisoners for “kudos”.
The High Court was told the former EDL leader was first locked up in Belmarsh but “on his first day he stated he had a conflict with followers of Islam“.
He was then moved to Woodhill on November 1 but the prison received intelligence of a possible threat, which resulted in Robinson being moved to a closed wing.
Mr Cross said: “HMP Woodhill received several intelligence reports showing a non-speculative risk to the claimant, including that two other prisoners at HMP Woodhill were plotting to assault the claimant to gain kudos and notoriety, and that the claimant had a ‘mark on his head’ and would be killed by a lifer if located on a wing.”
The lawyer also said that the Government opposes Robinson’s legal bid as “none of the grounds are arguable”.
He told the court that Robinson has three hours out of his cell a day, where he can use the exercise yard and gym facilities.
Mr Cross also revealed there is a TV, CD player and DVD player in his cell, as well as a laptop that Robinson sends and receives “thousands of emails”.
The prisoner receives a daily visit from both a member of the chaplaincy team and an NHS doctor or registered nurse.
Robinson also completes two-and-three-quarter hours of work “painting and decorating” three days a week and has a number of social and “non-family visits”, Mr Cross said.
He explained Robinson being kept on a “closed wing” was “ultimately an interim position” until repairs to another wing had been completed.
The court was told other prisons were considered but there is not “presently another option where the risk to the claimant, and to good order or discipline, could be better managed”.
Robinson’s barrister Alisdair Williamson KC said the bid has been brought due to “an evident decline in his mental health“.
The activist asked to be moved to an open jail in February, claiming the “solitary confinement is destroying my mind”.
Robinson continued: “I am terrified of the long-term consequences of the continued solitary confinement.
“I feel I am being provoked to react. I want to leave prison mentally well, not mentally broken.”
Robinson said in a separate complaint that he felt the “continued isolation” was “politically motivated because of my activism and beliefs”.
Mr Williamson argued Robinson is a “civil prisoner” and that Woodhill has “a significant Muslim population”.
The lawyer added it appears to be that fact that is “causing a difficulty”.
At one point during the hearing, Robinson held up a sign to his videolink camera reading: “They cut my phone off”.
It came after a pause in proceedings so he could give instructions to his legal representatives.
He then held up a second sign that said: “My calls are live monitored. They were listening when they cut it off.”
Robinson was jailed after admitting ten breaches of a High Court order made in 2021 by repeating false claims against a Syrian refugee.
The row first erupted in 2018 when a video went viral that showed Jamal Hijazi, a Syrian in West Yorkshire, being attacked by another teenager at school.
Robinson posted his own response this his one million Facebook followers falsely claiming that Jamal was a violent thug.
As a result, the teen and his family received a string of death threats and were later awarded £100,000 in damages after suing Robinson for defamation.
The court slapped the activities with an injunction that banned him from making the claims again.
But in 2023, Robinson lashed out at Jamal again and posted a video claiming he had been “silenced” by the state.
He re-showed the clip to thousands of his supporters in London‘s Trafalgar Square.
Jailing him, Judge Mr Justice Johnson said the breaches were not “accidental, negligent or merely reckless”.
He added: “In a democratic society underpinned by the rule of law, court orders must be obeyed.
“Nobody is above the law. Nobody can pick or choose which laws or which injunctions they obey, or which they do not.
“Even if they believe that an injunction is… contrary to their views they must comply with the injunction.
“They are not entitled to set themselves up as the judge in their own court. Otherwise the administration of justice and rule of law would break down.”
The hearing at the High Court will conclude later today.
PARobinson was jailed for 18 months last October[/caption]
AFPHe was convicted of breaching a High Court injunction[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
