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Prosecutors told the tribunal that law enforcement maintained reasonable suspicions that Stephen Yaxley-Lennon's phone contained material related to acts of terrorism when they stopped him last year as he attempted to leave the UK.

Refusal to Give Device Pin

The right-wing campaigner, whose legal name is Tommy Robinson, allegedly refused to provide his password to officers, stating it contained journalist content.” This happened after he was intercepted at the Channel tunnel on July 28, 2024.

Prosecution Claims on Counter-Terrorism Powers

On the last day of the proceedings, state lawyer the prosecution stated that the counter-terrorism powers employed by police are intended to permit intelligence gathering. She asserted that police had valid grounds to believe Robinson continued to have links to right-wing groups, even following the dissolution of the English Defence League (EDL).

“Although his membership of the English Defence League has ceased, his beliefs have not disappeared. He is recognized for holding those opinions and therefore it is a valid concern to believe that on his telephone there could be information pertaining to terrorist acts,” she told Westminster magistrates court.

Morris continued, “His beliefs – to which he is allowed – were not the subject for their concern on July 28. It was his association to others who are possibly involved in prohibited activities.”

Circumstances of the Detention

The activist had turned up by himself at the Eurotunnel in a luxury vehicle owned by a friend and was traveling to the holiday destination of the Spanish coast with over £13,000 in a carry-on, the court was told.

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

Defense Submissions

The defendant, who denies non-compliance with anti-terror laws during the incident on 28 July last year, faces up to 90 days in jail or a potential £2,500 fine if convicted.

His lawyer, Alisdair Williamson KC, argued in closing submissions that anti-terror officers who detained his client had conducted a “fishing expedition” and that he had been unlawfully detained.

Citing testimony from officers who stated they called “partner agencies” after detaining him, the defense lawyer said this was a allusion to the security services and that no evidence had been presented from the security service to indicate his defendant was a terrorist.

Williamson said the police intervention was biased” because it was based to a large extent on a protected characteristic.” He said that the “predominant influence” on the choice to stop him was recognizing his identity”.

He noted that officers had used an “extraordinary power that must be carefully regulated” to try to discover details that was already known. Williamson suggested that his client traveled to Benidorm regularly, which ought to have lessened the police suspicions about him.

Legal Costs and Verdict Date

The activist stated that his legal costs in the proceedings were being paid for by the tech billionaire, the proprietor of social media and electric car companies, who has emerged as an ally of the far-right activist and recently addressed a gathering arranged by him in the capital via a online broadcast.

A proposed day of next Tuesday for the decision was changed by the magistrate, the judge, after Williamson said his client was scheduled to be a guest of the Israel's administration from the midweek and would not return until October 25.

{“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,” said Williamson.

The judge announced he would hand down his verdict on the morning of 4 November.