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Legal representatives informed the tribunal that law enforcement maintained reasonable suspicions indicating Stephen Yaxley-Lennon's phone contained information related to acts of terrorism when they stopped him last year as he tried to leave the UK.

Denial to Provide Phone Password

The right-wing campaigner, using his real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, reportedly declined to hand over his password to police, claiming it contained journalist content.” This happened after he was stopped at the Eurotunnel on 28 July 2024.

Trial Claims on Counter-Terrorism Powers

On the final day of the proceedings, prosecutor the prosecution stated that the anti-terror authorities used by police are intended to permit intelligence gathering. She asserted that police had valid grounds to think the defendant continued to have connections to far-right activists, even after the dissolution of the English Defence League (EDL).

“Although his affiliation of the English Defence League has ceased, his beliefs have not gone away. He is recognized for having those opinions and therefore it is a reasonable suspicion to believe that on his phone there could be data relevant to acts of terrorism,” she told the court.

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

Circumstances of the Detention

The activist had turned up by himself at the Eurotunnel in a luxury vehicle owned by a acquaintance and was on his way to the Spanish resort of Benidorm with over £13,000 in a small bag, the trial was told.

The funds was said to have been from a collection to offset expenses from organizing a major rally that occurred the previous day in Trafalgar Square.

Defense Submissions

The defendant, who disputes failing to comply with counter-terrorism powers during the encounter on 28 July of the previous year, faces up to three months in jail or a possible £2,500 fine if found guilty.

His barrister, Alisdair Williamson KC, argued in final arguments that anti-terror officers who detained Robinson had engaged in a “fishing expedition” and that he had been unlawfully detained.

Referring to testimony from officers who stated they contacted “partner agencies” after detaining him, the defense lawyer said this was a allusion to the security services and that no evidence had been offered from the security service to suggest his client was a terrorist.

He asserted the officers’ intervention was biased” because it was based to a “significant degree on a protected characteristic.” He said that the main factor” on the choice to stop him was recognizing his identity”.

He added that officers had used an special authority that needs to be properly policed” to try to discover information that was already known. Williamson suggested that Robinson traveled to the resort regularly, which should have reduced the police concerns about him.

Legal Costs and Judgment Date

Robinson claimed that his court expenses in the case were being covered by the tech billionaire, the proprietor of X and Tesla, who has appeared as an ally of the campaigner and recently spoke at a rally arranged by him in London via a online broadcast.

A suggested day of next Tuesday for the decision was altered by the district judge, Sam Goozee, after Williamson explained Robinson was due to be a invitee of the Israeli government from Wednesday and would not come back 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 the barrister.

Goozee announced he would hand down his verdict on the start of 4 November.