Tommy Robinson loses bid to challenge prison segregation in High Court
Tommy Robinson has lost a bid to bring a High Court challenge over his segregation in prison.
A judge has refused permission for the far-right activist’s application for a judicial review after he brought legal proceedings against Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
The High Court was told Robinson, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was moved to a “closed” unit at Woodhill prison in Milton Keynes after intelligence suggested he “would be killed by a lifer if located on a wing”.
He was jailed for 18 months last October after admitting 10 breaches of a High Court injunction, which banned him from repeating false claims about a Syrian refugee.
Robinson was initially taken to Belmarsh prison, in southeast London, where he told staff “his conflict is with followers of Islam”.
HMP Woodhill, Milton Keynes
But he was moved to Woodhill after “a large volume of abusive and racist emails and telephone calls were received from his supporters”, according to the judgment.
They included “threats towards the (Belmarsh) governor” Jenny Louis, who is a black woman, the judge Mr Justice Chamberlain said.
Robinson’s lawyers argued his segregation was a breach of his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights and has caused an “evident decline in his mental health”.
His barrister Alisdair Williamson KC said the “significant Muslim population” in Woodhill appears to be “causing a difficulty” and argued he should be moved to another jail, where he could associate with other prisoners ahead of his release on 26 July.
He said Robinson, who he described as a journalist, suffered from ADHD and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) first triggered by his solitary confinement during an earlier prison sentence.
Mr Williamson said that Robinson is worried about his mental health on his release because “he self-harms by abusing substances in order to cope with the stress caused by being held in solitary confinement”.
But Tom Cross, representing the government, said it was “not an arguable claim” and revealed details of the privileges enjoyed by Robinson, who is a Category C civil prisoner, behind bars.
Hundreds of emails, dozens of visits and 1,250 phone calls
Woodhill prison governor Nicola Marfleet said in a statement he gets three hours out of his cell every day – when he can exercise, use the gym or play recreational games such as pool – and another two hours and 45 minutes three times a week when he does painting and decorating work.
She said he has “significantly more visit time than any other prisoner”, with two hours, four times a week, in a room described as “more informal and comfortable”, where he can take in food he’s bought from the canteen.
Robinson has 120 people on his visitors list and has had 93 visits, while he can use the phone for four hours a day and has made more than 1,250 social calls.
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Robinson has a television, laptop – on which he receives emails “in their hundreds” – a CD player and a DVD player in his cell, the court heard.
He also attends a weekly bible session and has daily visits from a member of the chaplaincy team and daily visits from an NHS doctor or nurse.
‘Not solitary confinement’
In a ruling, stating Robinson’s case was “not arguable”, the judge said: “It is not accurate to refer to Mr Yaxley-Lennon’s regime as ‘solitary confinement’ at all.”
He accepted the “absence of association with other prisoners has an effect on his mental health” but said it was “not arguable that the regime as a whole gives rise to a breach” of his human rights.
In written submissions, the judge was told after his transfer to Woodhill, Robinson was identified as being of “high interest” to other prisoners and was put in a closed wing at the back of the segregation unit, which can’t be accessed by other inmates.
Intelligence reports suggested two other prisoners were plotting to attack Robinson to gain “kudos and notoriety”, and that he had a “mark on his head” and “would be killed by a lifer if located on a wing”, according to the submissions.
The governor also feared Robinson’s presence on a normal wing would “exacerbate” tensions between Muslim and non-Muslim prisoners and that he may “pose a risk by seeking to radicalise and/or influence other prisoners”, according to her statement.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
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Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
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