UK activist Tommy Robinson was sentenced to six months in prison in July for three counts of contempt of court.
He was sent back to prison immediately following the conclusion of the hearing.
Judge says she wants to send Tommy to prison immediately — as in, this afternoon.
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) July 11, 2019
TGP contributor Cassandra Fairbanks reported at the time that the sentence was highly unusual as contempt of court cases almost always lead to a non-custodial sentence — especially for journalists. Typically, a media outlet or journalist would face a slap on the wrist or light fine. Yet, one of the judges in the case, Dame Victoria Sharp, said that “nothing less than a custodial penalty would reflect the gravity” of the situation.
The judge admitted that they specifically wanted to make an example of Robinson.
Dame Victoria says she wants to make an example out of Tommy. (That's what the Attorney General said — he asked the court to punish citizen journalists.)
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) July 11, 2019
On Friday Tommy Robinson was released from prison.
SKY News reported:
Tommy Robinson has been released from jail after nine weeks following his sentence for contempt of court.
Photographs posted on social media showed the English Defence League (EDL) founder smiling, with longer hair and a beard, outside Belmarsh prison in London.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was handed a nine-month sentence at the Old Bailey in July, but was told he would spend only 10 weeks behind bars.
Ezra Levant greeted Tommy Robinson was there to greet Tommy.