Tommy Robinson found not guilty of terror offence for failing to give police access to his phone at Channel Tunnel
Tommy Robinson has been found not guilty of a terror offence after refusing to give police access to his phone when they stopped him at the Channel Tunnel last year.
Robinson, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was heading to the Spanish tourist hotspot of Benidorm when officers detained him in Folkestone in July 2024.
During a two-day trial last month, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard police became “suspicious” and “concerned” about the far-right activist’s “demeanour”.
The former English Defence League (EDL) leader, who was driving a silver Bentley Bentayga SUV, gave “vague replies” about what he was doing and “made no eye contact” with officers.
They demanded access to his iPhone under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, which gives police the power to stop anyone passing through a UK port “to determine whether they may be involved or concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.
On Tuesday, district judge Sam Goozee found Robinson not guilty of failing to comply with the counter-terrorism powers.
Robinson, who denied failing to comply with the counter-terrorism powers, refused, saying “it’s my work, I’m a journalist,” before adding that the phone held information about “vulnerable girls”.
Officers, who recognised him, led him to an interview room and seized his phone, the court heard.
Asked to hand over the phone’s PIN, Robinson replied: “Not a chance, bruv”.
Under the Act, someone can be held for up to six hours, is legally obliged to answer questions and can be held to have committed a criminal offence if they refuse to provide the password or PIN for electronic devices.
The campaigner had more than £13,000 and €1,900 on him when he was stopped and was travelling in a high-value car that was not registered under his name, the trial heard.
He had also booked his tickets to travel on the day.
Alisdair Williamson KC, defending, said the stop and detention was unlawful because officers had taken a “discriminatory stance” based on their knowledge of Robinson’s views.
He said their intervention was discriminatory because it was based to a “significant degree on a protected characteristic”.
He said the “predominant influence” on PC Mitchell Thorogood’s decision to stop him was “‘oh look, it’s Tommy Robinson'”.
During the trial, Robinson said in a video posted on X that Elon Musk had “picked up the legal bill” for “this absolute state persecution”.
