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Prosecutors told the court that law enforcement maintained reasonable suspicions indicating Tommy Robinson's phone contained material relevant to terrorist activities when they detained him in the previous year as he attempted to depart from the UK.

Refusal to Provide Phone Pin

The right-wing campaigner, using his legal name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, allegedly declined to provide his phone pin to police, stating it included “journalistic material.” This occurred after he was stopped at the Channel tunnel on July 28, 2024.

Prosecution Claims on Counter-Terrorism Powers

On the final day of the trial, state lawyer the prosecution argued that the anti-terror authorities employed by law enforcement are designed to permit intelligence gathering. She asserted that police had valid grounds to think the defendant still have connections to right-wing groups, even after the disbandment of the English Defence League (EDL).

While his affiliation of the English Defence League has ceased, his beliefs have not gone away. He is recognized for having those views and therefore it is a valid concern to believe that on his phone there could be data relevant to terrorist acts,” she informed Westminster magistrates court.

Morris continued, “His beliefs – to which he is allowed – were not the subject for their concern on 28 July. It was his connection to individuals who are potentially engaged in illegal actions.”

Circumstances of the Stop

The campaigner had turned up alone at the Eurotunnel in a silver Bentley belonging to a acquaintance and was traveling to the holiday destination of the Spanish coast with over £13,000 in a carry-on, the trial heard.

The money was reportedly from a donation drive to cover expenses from arranging a major rally that took place the previous day in Trafalgar Square.

Defense Arguments

The defendant, who denies non-compliance with anti-terror laws during the encounter on July 28 last year, could receive up to three months in prison or a potential £2,500 fine if convicted.

His barrister, defense counsel, said in closing submissions that counter-terrorism police who detained Robinson had engaged in a “fishing expedition” and that he had been unlawfully detained.

Citing testimony from officers who said they contacted “partner agencies” after detaining him, Williamson said this was a allusion to the security services and that no evidence had been presented from the security service to indicate his defendant was a security threat.

Williamson asserted the police intervention was biased” because it was based to a “significant degree on a personal attribute.” He stated that the main factor” on the choice to stop him was “‘oh look, it’s Tommy Robinson”.

He noted that officers had used an “extraordinary power that must be properly policed” to try to discover details that was previously available. The barrister suggested that Robinson traveled to Benidorm regularly, which ought to have lessened the police concerns about him.

Legal Costs and Verdict Date

The activist stated that his legal costs in the case were being paid for by the tech billionaire, the owner of social media and electric car companies, who has appeared as an ally of the campaigner and recently addressed a gathering organized by him in the capital via a livestream.

A suggested date of the following Tuesday for the decision was altered by the magistrate, the judge, after the defense explained Robinson was due to be a guest of the Israeli government from the midweek and would not return until 25 October.

{“I wouldn’t trouble you if this was a trip to Benidorm. I would ask him to rearrange it but he is a guest of a foreign government,” stated Williamson.

The judge said he would deliver his verdict on the morning of 4 November.