ANGRY Tommy Robinson fans have hit out at the apparently lenient treatment of an Oxford woman who took photos at court.
Supporters of the former leader of the far-right English Defence League (EDL) are upset that Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is behind bars when Susan Westlake – who was caught taking photos at Oxford Crown Court this week – was only given a slap on the wrist.
Filming proceedings is against the law because is runs the risk of being in contempt of court.
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In a video posted to anti-Islam Robinson's 'news' website, 'spokesperson' Avi Yemini branded the ordeal unfair, sharing the Oxford Mail's story and explaining: "Twice now he's been dragged through the courts for much less than what this woman did."
Contempt of Court happens when somebody risks unfairly influencing a court case. It may mean that somebody does not get a fair trial, or the outcome is skewed.
Somebody could be guilty if they do things like take photos, shout in court or publicly comment on an ongoing trial on social media.
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On Tuesday, Ms Westlake was caught by an Oxford Crown Court clerk taking two photos during a hearing.
When her phone was quickly seized she admitted what could be tried as a breach under the Contempt of Court Act – a law that carries a maximum of two years in jail – and deleted the photos.
The judge told her off and she was not handed a penalty.
Robinson was found guilty of the same law in July and was handed a nine-month prison sentence of which he is expected to serve about 10 weeks.
In the video Mr Yemini said that 'nobody goes to jail unless they are Tommy Robinson' urging fans to 'share the truth'.
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After appealing for financial help he explained: "Now before I end this quick update, I wanted to actually point something else out the article posted today 'woman caught taking panoramic photos at Oxford Crown Court' a woman caught taking photos during a live court hearing has been given a slap on the wrist.
"Now, the only reason why I'm highlighting this is because Tommy Robinson is in jail now for contempt of court. And you're going to argue saying ah well he was on a suspended sentence, well – that's true. There was a suspended sentence as well and that's why he got those additional three months.
"But the fact is, twice now he's been dragged through the courts for much less than what that woman did. So if you're sitting there and you're convincing yourself or you believe that mainstream media narrative that Tommy Robinson is really guilty of contempt of court and that's why he's in jail well this is the reality of contempt of court in the UK. It's a slap on the wrist. Nobody goes to jail unless they are Tommy Robinson. Share the truth."
In another update he claimed that Robinson is in a special part of Belmarsh Prison where only two other inmates are allowed: a murderer and Julian Assange.
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