By Salma El-Sakka
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday of harassing two Daily Mail journalists and causing them to fear violence through a series of social media posts in August 2024.
Posts began after Cyprus story
On August 5, Robinson reacted angrily to a Daily Mail article about him in Cyprus, posting on X that the newspaper had endangered his children and threatening to track down the journalists' addresses and families. The post was viewed 244,000 times.
Direct messages and threatening call
Hours later, he sent direct messages to journalist Jacob Dirnhuber saying he would knock on his door. That evening, while Dirnhuber's colleague Andrew Young remained in Cyprus, Robinson made a menacing phone call, threatening to publish photographs of Young's family and addresses, and saying "I'm coming to get you."
Public posts with journalists' home images
On August 6, Robinson claimed publicly he had "tracked each one" of the journalists. He posted pictures of Dirnhuber outside his home, viewed 4.8 million times, and images of Young's home, viewed 350,000 times. Later he posted cropped photos of Young's wife, daughter, and a vehicle, viewed one million times.
Voicemail to editor and continued posts
On August 7, Robinson left a voicemail for Daily Mail editor-in-chief Ted Verity, saying he would "make you famous and your families" and that he had located "every f****** one of you." He continued posting on X, with one post viewed 228,000 times, after which Dirnhuber stopped checking social media.
