Tommy Robinson cleared of refusing to leave antisemitism march after Met Police paperwork error

From the Independent. I use the report in the Independent as their headline doesn’t say ‘far-right’

Tommy Robinson has been cleared of refusing to leave Westminster after he was arrested during an antisemitism march last November.

It comes after a senior Metropolitan Police officer who signed the dispersal order admitted it may not have been lawful after he used the wrong date on the paperwork.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, had denied failing to comply with a direction when he was arrested by police officers opposite the Royal Courts of Justice.

Giving his ruling, District Judge Daniel Sternberg said: “I am not satisfied there was a legal authorisation. There is no case for you to answer.”

The Met Police have since that they will review the procedural errors and the judge’s findings, to ensure any changes can be implemented.

The English Defence League founder had attended central London to participate in the demonstration, which came in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, despite being warned by organisers he would not be welcome.

That organiser, who then alerted police to Tommy’s presence in the cafe opposite the RCJ,at which he was dragged from his breakfast and escorted into custory was Gideon Falter, head of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, who later found himself very wrongly threatened with arrest for trying to cross the road while looking Jewish.  The current situation is too serious for schadenfreude and needling each other; be big, gentlemen, and in future work together please. 

Inspector Steve Parker-Phipps, responsible for policing certain aspects of the protest, imposed a Section 35 order under the Crime and Policing Act 2014 when he thought a “right-wing group” could potentially be attending, the trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.

The court heard Inspector Parker-Phipps, whose laptop battery was “dying”, put the order in place at 10am on November 26, but accidentally dated the form for November 24. Mr Robinson’s defence lawyer Alisdair Williamson KC told the court there had been a “litany of catastrophic errors” in the Met’s handling of the incident.

Questioning the inspector, Mr Williamson KC said: “This document is not correct is it? “Can we have any confidence that there was a lawful order in place?”

After a pause, the officer replied: “No.”

The trial was attended by numerous supporters of Mr Robinson who filled the public gallery.