Political activist Tommy Robinson used “bully-boy, intimidatory tactics” to frighten two Daily Mail journalists, forcing them to employ security or leave home, a court has heard.

The 43-year-old from Bedfordshire, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is charged with two counts of harassment causing fear of violence towards reporters Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber.

Opening the trial, prosecutor Ben Holt said the case was about Yaxley-Lennon’s reaction to what he perceived to be “an unnecessary intrusion into his holiday” in the aftermath of the 2024 Southport attacks.

Robinson, who founded the English Defence League, entered not guilty pleas to the charges in July last year.

The judge at Southwark Crown Court, Mr Justice Cavanagh, told the jury: “This is not a trial about or an assessment of the defendant’s political views.”

Ben Holt, for the prosecution, described Yaxley-Lennon as a “well-known public figure” with a “large, vocal on-line following” that now included more than two million followers on social media website X.

Robinson posted on X before the trial began to thank the social media platform’s owner Elon Musk for funding his case – and said his court fees to date had cost him £400,000.

Holt said that after the murders of three young girls in Southport on 29 July 2024, Yaxley-Lennon made a number of posts on social media. This alerted the Daily Mail and Mail Online to the fact that he was in Cyprus.

The Daily Mail published articles that included photographs of the defendant, including one showing him “reclining on a sunbed using his mobile telephone”.

Southwark Crown Court heard that over the following days, he made a series of posts on his X account in response.

On 4 August, these included: “The daily mail have purposely gave the location of where I am with my children knowing full well that people want to kill me.”

Another post said: “The daily mail have purposely doxed the exact location of my family. How can they be allowed to do this’.”

There were no identifiable pictures of Yaxley-Lennon’s children published by the Daily Mail or in the Mail Online, jurors were told.

Holt said the trial was about Yaxley-Lennon’s reaction to the articles, and accused him of using “bully-boy tactics” to “intimidate” the journalists.

“He chose to frighten them, arrange for individuals to go to their addresses,” said the prosecuting counsel.

“On social media —to millions of followers — he circulated images of their homes.

“His supporters got involved — threatening the journalists.

“Understandably, you might agree, they were scared; in some circumstances, being forced to leave their homes.”

The court heard that on 5 August, Dirnhuber received a number of direct messages from Robinson/Yaxley-Lennon.

These included “you have endangered my children”, “I’ll be knocking at your door,” and “let your bosses know I’m coming to all of your houses”.

The jury was told that Yaxley-Lennon’s case was that his family “had been put in danger by the actions of the Daily Mail” and he had acted to “protect his family”.

On X he posted: “What is good for the goose is good for the gander.”

The trial, in front of a jury of nine men and three women, is expected to last for five days.

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