Independent journalist and European Parliament candidate Tommy Robinson will face another contempt trial for his live-streaming about a child grooming gang.
The decision comes despite the fact that Robinson already served ten weeks in prison before previous contempt charges for the same incident were overturned in the Court of Appeal. Their ruling that found he was improperly tried, convicted, sentenced and imprisoned.
Robinson told Gateway Pundit during the hearing that he believed there was a “100% chance” that the judge would rule that he could be retried, as it is highly political and elections are coming up.
Last May, Robinson was arrested for contempt of court while filming outside the trial of a Pakistani grooming gang in Leeds, as the case was under a reporting ban. The arrest and same-day imprisonment led to thousands of people going out in the streets to protest.
Approximately three months after Robinson’s imprisonment, the charge was struck down by Lord Chief Justice Burnett and two other judges, and he was released. The court, however, left the option open to try him again for the same incident.
On Tuesday, the Attorney General claimed that Robinson’s livestream encouraged his supporters to show up at the trial that he was covering and harass the defendants. They argued that he was intimidating the now-convicted child rapists by being present with his camera and telling his viewers that “by the end of the day, hopefully millions of people will have seen the faces of these alleged offenders.”
The Attorney General actually argued that he should face another trial for being mean to a convicted child rapist!
“The reason the AG takes such a serious view, the treatment of defendants has not had prominent attention of the courts… the AG is extremely concerned”. So they’re prosecuting Tommy because he was mean to a serial child rapist. That’s what the AG just said.
— Ezra Levant 🍁 (@ezralevant) May 14, 2019
Speaking to the Gateway Pundit in the courtroom, Robinson noted that he was chased into the building on his way to this hearing by a slew of cameras and people yelling at him, but the court did nothing to prevent it. He also pointed out that Independent journalist Lizzie Dearden ignored a reporting ban the same weekend he did — but was never charged.
Robinson’s barrister countered the arguments from the AG by asserting that his client has already been punished for the matter. He was held in solitary for 10 weeks prior to the conviction being thrown out the first time. In the United States, this would be considered double jeopardy.
The Attorney General’s representation argued that a retrial would be in the public interest, but noted that “if the court was satisfied that there was serious unfairness it may very well refuse permission.” However, he went on to add that another trial would “safeguard the public course of justice.”
full story at https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/05/breaking-tommy-robinson-to-face-new-contempt-trial-for-livestreaming/