Tommy Robinson, the far-right activist whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is on trial for harassment after allegedly posting images of journalists' homes online to his millions of followers, a UK court heard.
The 42-year-old faces two counts of harassment causing fear of violence against reporters from the Daily Mail and Mail Online. According to the court, Robinson circulated photographs of where the journalists lived to his social media audience, effectively encouraging followers to threaten them.
Journalists and their family members were forced to leave their homes as a result of what the court was told amounted to "bullyboy, intimidatory tactics." The trial began with prosecutors presenting this account of the allegations against Robinson.
The case centres on Robinson's use of his online platform to target specific journalists by revealing their residential addresses. Court proceedings outlined how the circulation of these images to his substantial social media following created conditions in which the journalists feared violence.