FASCIST rabble-rouser Stephen Yaxley-Lennon was jailed for 18 months yesterday after admitting contempt of court. 

The former tanning salon owner and founder of the English Defence League (EDL) admitted to 10 breaches of a High Court order made in 2021 that forbade him from repeating libellous claims against young Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi.

In 2018, then-schoolboy Mr Hijazi was assaulted at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield.

After a clip of the incident went viral, Mr Yaxley-Lennon, also known as “Tommy Robinson,” made false claims, including that Mr Hijazi had attacked girls at his school. 

Mr Hijazi successfully sued the EDL founder, who was then banned from repeating the false allegations. 

At a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court, lawyers for the Solicitor General said that Mr Yaxley-Lennon had been undermining the rule of law, including by publishing his film Silenced, which repeats the libellous allegations about Mr Hijazi.

Mr Justice Johnson said the breaches of the injunction were not “accidental, negligent or merely reckless” but a “planned, deliberate, direct, flagrant breach of the court’s orders.”

The Solicitor General issued a first contempt claim in June and said Mr Robinson knowingly breached the order four times, including by having published, caused, authorised or procured his racist film.

Another claim was issued in August concerning another six breaches, including showing the film at a demonstration.

Mr Yaxley-Lennon was ordered to serve 18 months, which could be shortened by two months if the film is removed on his Twitter account.

Sabby Dhalu of Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) told the Star: “‘Tommy Robinson’ released a video falsely claiming that a refugee child was violent towards white English girls. 

“This led to his supporters targeting the child and his family, forcing them to move house to due to death threats and harassment. 

“Robinson couldn’t back up this claim so it was deemed libellous. He went on to repeat this claim, putting him in contempt of court. 

“This is part of a deliberate tactic to play the victim, take money from his supporters and stir up racist lies and Islamophobia to build a fascist movement.”

Fellow SUTR co-convener Weyman Bennett said Mr Yaxley-Lennon “belongs in prison as a racist criminal who is in part responsible for the riots that took place in August.

“We must resist his fascist racist movement with all our united might.”