Stephen Yaxley-Lennon
Tommy Robinson is the pseudonym of the leading figure in the English Defence League. According to the Guardian, he is a 28-year-old carpenter from Luton.[1]
In its July 2010 edition, Searchlight magazine named Robinson as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a former British National Party member from Bedford sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in 2005 for assaulting an off-duty police officer.[2] Yaxley-Lennon's name first surfaced in a comment accompanying an anonymously posted video purporting to show Robinson's face. According to a screenshot taken by Searchlight, Robinson appeared to confirm his identity by commenting on Facebook: "hey at least people can see my hansome [sic] face now."[3] According to the One Million United blog, Robinson's Facebook page was deleted shortly after publication of the Searchlight story.[4]
Conviction
In July 2011, Yaxley-Lennon was found guilty of "using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour" during a clash between rival football fans in Luton on 24 August 2011.[5]
The BBC reported:
- He was given a 12-month community rehabilitation order and a three-year ban from football by Luton magistrates. He must also carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £650 in costs.[6]
Contact
- Defunct Facebook page Tommy Robinson
External Resources
- Nick Lowles and Simon Cressy, The BNP past of the EDL leader, Searchlight, July 2010.
- Richard Bartholomew, Searchlight Names EDL Leader “Tommy Robinson” as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, Bartholomew's Notes on Religion, 26 June 2010.
- Nick Lowles, EDL leader refused entry into US, HOPE not hate, 10 September 2010.
Notes
- ↑ Robert Booth, Matthew Taylor and Paul Lewis, English Defence League: chaotic alliance stirs up trouble on streets, The Guardian, 12 September 2007
- ↑ Nick Lowles and Simon Cressy, The BNP past of the EDL leader, Searchlight, July 2010.
- ↑ Nick Lowles and Simon Cressy, The BNP past of the EDL leader, Searchlight, July 2010.
- ↑ Exclusive: EDL Panics As Exposed Leader Goes Into Hiding, One Million United Official Blog, 26 June 2010.
- ↑ EDL founder Stephen Lennon guilty over football brawl, BBC News, 25 July 2010.
- ↑ EDL founder Stephen Lennon guilty over football brawl, BBC News, 25 July 2011.