Tommy Robinson loses court docket bid to problem jail segregation

The Excessive Court docket has thrown out an try by the far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon to problem his jail situations which have seen him segregated from different inmates.

Yaxley-Lennon, often known as Tommy Robinson, argued that segregation at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, was destroying his psychological well being and breaching his human rights.

Mr Justice Chamberlain mentioned there was no proof the state was attempting to “break” him and the court docket has heard he was being segregated for his personal security as he had a “mark [put] on his head” by different inmates.

The decide mentioned Yaxley-Lennon’s claims of degrading remedy fell far wanting the proof wanted for the courts to intervene on human rights grounds.

The activist was jailed for 18 months in October after admitting breaching a court docket order which had directed him to not repeat lies a few Syrian refugee.

Yaxley-Lennon was first held in HMP Belamarsh in south-east London – however he was moved after the jail obtained a big quantity of abusive and racist emails, together with threats to the governor, who’s a black girl.

On 1 November, Yaxley-Lennon entered a closed wing at Woodhill and has been stored other than different prisoners, however has contact all through the day with officers and workers.

The court docket has heard he had refused a proposal to maneuver to a weak inmates unit, saying he didn’t wish to affiliate with intercourse offenders.

On Thursday, Alisdair Williamson KC, for Yaxley-Lennon, instructed the Excessive Court docket his shopper had a posh type of post-traumatic stress dysfunction, exacerbated by consideration deficit hyperactivity dysfunction.

He argued his shopper’s psychological well being would deteriorate and, upon his launch on licence in July, he may return to substance abuse to manage.

That disclosure was a uncommon court docket admission from Yaxley-Lennon that he has been a routine drug consumer.

Legal professionals for the justice secretary mentioned the segregation was neither solitary confinement or a punishment – however a fastidiously thought of plan to maintain Yaxley-Lennon secure.

Jail governors mentioned two prisoners had been planning to assault him to “acquire kudos and notoriety”.

One other tip-off steered that an inmate serving a life sentence would kill Yaxley-Lennon in the event that they had been ever positioned on the identical wing.

Dismissing the case, Mr Justice Chamberlain mentioned Yaxley-Lennon’s personal barrister had accepted there was no proof his shopper had been segregated “for the aim of breaking his resistance or humiliating or debasing him”.

“Quite the opposite, all of the proof reveals [the decision] was taken for his personal safety and within the pursuits of preserving the protection of different prisoners and workers,” he added.

“He himself had mentioned, when first detained at HMP Belmarsh, that he had a battle with the followers of Islam.

“It was thus comprehensible the governor ought to be involved that Mr Yaxley-Lennon’s presence may foment unrest or violence between Muslim and non-Muslim prisoners.”

The court docket heard there was no proof Yaxley-Lennon was prone to self-harm or suicide.

The decide dominated the inmate’s scenario couldn’t be classed as solitary confinement and didn’t quantity to degrading remedy that might be an illegal breach of Article 3 of the European Conference on Human Rights.

The decide mentioned his segregation was ameliorated by him being allowed “some three hours per time out of his cell, which is greater than twice the time allowed to convicted prisoners held in segregation”.

The decide additionally mentioned Robinson was allowed to make use of the gymnasium and bathe day-after-day, work (“albeit nonetheless on his personal”), and he might converse to jail officers, healthcare workers and the chaplaincy each day, in addition to having a weekly Bible research session.

He added that Yaxley-Lennon’s claims he was being denied contact with family and friends had been “manifestly not well-founded”.

Some 120 individuals have been authorised to see him in 93 visits – greater than another inmate, the court docket heard.

He had two hours for visits 4 instances every week and cancellations had associated to suspected makes an attempt by his supporters to orchestrate social media campaigning referring to his imprisonment.

Yaxley-Lennon’s Excessive Court docket case had meant that an unrelated prosecution, for allegedly refusing to adjust to a counter-terrorism search of his cellphone, had been put again months.

He’s additionally dealing with prosecution having been accused of breaching a stalking prevention order.