Fact check: What was tommy robbinson jailed for

1. Summary of the results

Tommy Robinson was most recently jailed for 18 months for contempt of court after admitting to 10 breaches of a High Court order ^{[1] [2]}. The breaches involved repeating false claims against a Syrian refugee named Jamal Hijazi, whom Robinson had previously libelled ^{[1] [2]}. The judge stated that Robinson's actions were deliberate and showed he considered himself above the law, with the breaches being sophisticated and designed to achieve maximum coverage ^{[1] [2]}.

Robinson's appeal against this 18-month sentence was dismissed, with the court ruling that the sentence reflected the gravity of his contempt ^[3]. The original case involved false allegations against a Syrian schoolboy who was bullied, and Robinson was ordered to pay £100,000 plus legal costs before breaching the injunction in October 2024 ^[4].

However, Robinson has multiple jail sentences for contempt of court. He was also sentenced to 9 months for contempt of court in 2018 for interfering with the trial of a sexual grooming gang at Leeds Crown Court by broadcasting footage of defendants on Facebook Live ^{[5] [6]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about Robinson's extensive criminal history beyond contempt of court. Robinson has convictions for:

• Assault ^{[7] [8] [6]}
• Mortgage fraud ^{[7] [8] [6]}
• Using a false passport/traveling on another person's passport to the US ^{[7] [6]}
• Drug and public order offenses ^[6]

The question also fails to specify which jailing is being referenced, as Robinson has been jailed multiple times for contempt of court - both the 2018 case involving the grooming gang trial and the 2024 case involving the Syrian refugee ^{[5] [4]}.

High-profile figures like Elon Musk have called for Robinson to be freed from jail, suggesting there are influential voices who benefit from portraying Robinson as a victim of judicial overreach rather than someone who repeatedly violated court orders ^[8].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question appears neutral but could be misleading by omission. By asking simply "what was Tommy Robinson jailed for" without specifying timeframe, it may inadvertently suggest Robinson has only been jailed once, when in fact he has multiple contempt of court convictions spanning several years ^{[5] [4]}.

The framing also potentially minimizes the severity of his actions - the sources make clear that Robinson's contempt involved deliberately spreading false information about vulnerable individuals (a Syrian refugee child) and interfering with active criminal proceedings involving serious crimes ^{[1] [5]}. Those who benefit from portraying Robinson sympathetically would prefer the focus to remain on "contempt of court" rather than the underlying harmful behavior of spreading libel about refugees and potentially compromising criminal trials.