--- title: "Tommy Robinson on trial for harassment of MailOnline reporters" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/tommy-robinson-on-trial-for-harassment-of-mailonline-reporters" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/tommy-robinson-on-trial-for-harassment-of-mailonline-reporters" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/tommy-robinson-on-trial-for-harassment-of-mailonline-reporters.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/tommy-robinson-on-trial-for-harassment-of-mailonline-reporters" category: "Politics" area: "United Kingdom" published: "2026-10-19T14:05:30.191Z" source_reported: "2026-10-19T10:22:20.000Z" updated: "2026-10-19T14:05:30.191Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-19T14:30:19.802262+00:00" --- # Tommy Robinson on trial for harassment of MailOnline reporters *The far-right activist faces charges of harassment causing fear of violence over alleged threats made via X and phone.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and 10 digests corroborate the central claims, with specific dates and threats attributed to the defendant. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. The reporting clearly separates fact from allegation and provides specific details of the charges. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The language used is neutral and factual, with no sensationalism or exaggeration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Tommy Robinson is on trial at Southwark Crown Court for two counts of harassment causing fear of violence. - The charges stem from alleged threats made via X posts, direct messages, and a phone call to MailOnline reporters Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber between August 5 and 7, 2024. - Robinson, who founded the English Defence League, pleaded not guilty to the charges in July 2025. - Prosecutors allege Robinson threatened to visit the reporters' homes, with one quote stating, "I'm coming to get you." British far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court. He faces two counts of harassment causing fear of violence. The charges relate to alleged threats made to MailOnline reporters Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber between August 5 and 7, 2024. Prosecutors allege Robinson made threats through X posts, direct messages, and a phone call. He is accused of threatening Young by saying, "I'm coming to get you," and Dirnhuber by stating, "I'll be knocking at your door." Robinson, who founded the English Defence League, pleaded not guilty to the charges in July 2025. ## Disagreement on reporting method PerthNow and The Border Mail published full reports of the trial, detailing the charges and alleged threats. The remaining 10 outlets published digests, which are third-party summaries of the news. These digests confirm Robinson is on trial for harassment charges but do not contain the full detail or specific wording found in the full reports. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention the specific dates between August 5 and 7, 2024, on which the alleged threats were made. The digests from The Oldham Times and the Evening Standard, rated centre, do not include the specific dates of the alleged threats. ## Who covered it Shares of the 13 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 54% (7) - Centre: 31% (4) - Right: 15% (2) 2 of 15 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-19T14:30:19.802262+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 3 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-19T14:45:19.269Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports from The National, Newcastle Herald, The Canberra Times, The Examiner, and The Border Mail all stated that Tommy Robinson is on trial for harassment charges. The Border Mail, which provided a full report, detailed the specific allegations, including the threats made to MailOnline reporters Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber. The digests from the other left-rated outlets confirmed Robinson's appearance in court for harassment charges, with The National and Rother Radio digests including the alleged quotes "I’m coming to get you" and "I’ll be knocking at your door." ### Centre - The centre-rated reports from PerthNow, The Oldham Times, and the Evening Standard focused on Tommy Robinson's trial for harassment. PerthNow, which provided a full report, detailed the charges, the alleged threats made via X and phone to MailOnline reporters Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber, and included the specific quotes "I'm coming to get you" and "I'll be knocking at your door." The digests from The Oldham Times and the Evening Standard stated that the political activist is accused of two counts of harassment causing fear of violence. ### Right - The right-rated reports from Anadolu Ajansı and The West Australian identified Tommy Robinson as a far-right activist facing trial for threats to reporters. Anadolu Ajansı's digest stated prosecutors allege Robinson threatened to visit reporters' homes and posted about locating them. The West Australian's digest noted Robinson, who founded the English Defence League, is charged with threatening two MailOnline reporters. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 8 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 3 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/tommy-robinson-cyprus-journalist-court-case-b3069278.html) — Tommy Robinson accused of intimidation against two journalists - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/uk/crime/tommy-robinson-cyprus-court-case-b3069232.html) — Tommy Robinson used ‘bully-boy tactics’ to frighten journalists, court told - [BBC News](https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cry83jz19v26o) — Tommy Robinson 'intimidated' Daily Mail reporters, trial hears - [theoldhamtimes.co.uk](https://theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/national/26648398.tommy-robinson-arrives-court-ahead-harassment-trial) — Tommy Robinson arrives at court ahead of harassment trial - [Evening Standard](https://standard.co.uk/news/crime/tommy-robinson-andrew-young-mailonline-southwark-crown-court-english-defence-league-b1301413.html) — Tommy Robinson arrives at court ahead of harassment trial - [The National](https://thenational.scot/news/26647887.tommy-robinson-go-trial-alleged-harassment-2-journalists) — Tommy Robinson to go on trial over alleged harassment of two journalists - [Stv](https://news.stv.tv/world/tommy-robinson-to-go-on-trial-over-alleged-harassment-of-two-journalists) — Tommy Robinson to go on trial over alleged harassment of two journalists - [Anadolu Ajansı](https://aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-far-right-figure-tommy-robinson-faces-trial-over-threats-to-reporters/4092990) — UK Far-Right Figure Tommy Robinson Faces Trial over Threats to Reporters - [Rother Radio - Rotherham & Sheffield's Best Variety of Hits!](https://rotherradio.co.uk/tommy-robinson-to-go-on-trial-over-alleged-harassment-of-two-journalists) — Tommy Robinson to go on trial over alleged harassment of two journalists - [PerthNow](https://perthnow.com.au/news/crime/uk-far-right-activist-on-trial-for-alleged-harassment-c-23041310) — UK far-right activist on trial for alleged harassment - [The West Australian](https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/uk-far-right-activist-on-trial-for-alleged-harassment-c-23041307) — UK far-right activist on trial for alleged harassment - [Newcastle Herald](https://newcastleherald.com.au/story/9371153/uk-far-right-activist-on-trial-for-alleged-harassment) — UK far-right activist on trial for alleged harassment - [The Border Mail](https://bordermail.com.au/story/9371153/uk-far-right-activist-on-trial-for-alleged-harassment) — UK far-right activist on trial for alleged harassment - [The Canberra Times](https://canberratimes.com.au/story/9371153/uk-far-right-activist-on-trial-for-alleged-harassment) — UK far-right activist on trial for alleged harassment - [The Examiner](https://examiner.com.au/story/9371153/uk-far-right-activist-on-trial-for-alleged-harassment) — UK far-right activist on trial for alleged harassment ## Questions **What are the charges against Tommy Robinson?** Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is on trial for two counts of harassment causing fear of violence. These charges relate to alleged threats made to MailOnline reporters Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber via X posts, direct messages, and a phone call in August 2024. **What did Tommy Robinson allegedly say to the reporters?** Prosecutors allege that Tommy Robinson threatened Andrew Young by saying, "I'm coming to get you." He is also accused of threatening Jacob Dirnhuber by saying, "I'll be knocking at your door." These alleged threats were made via X posts, direct messages, and a phone call. **When and where is the trial taking place?** The trial is taking place at Southwark Crown Court. The charges relate to alleged threats made between August 5 and 7, 2024. Robinson pleaded not guilty to the charges in July 2025. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/tommy-robinson-on-trial-for-harassment-of-mailonline-reporters. 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