Oh Tommy Tommy - YOU’RE FINISHED

For a few years, Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, was able to tour the country, rocking up at his targets’ houses and workplaces and intimidating them into silence, or even, in one case, losing one man his job. He was given a platform by broadcasters. He headlined his own events, even in places like central London.

And all the while, Lennon would maintain that whatever he decided was THE TROOF was, indeed, just that, and anyone claiming otherwise was telling lies about him. He even took the cops to court in an attempt to prove this, but it proved his undoing, starting The Great Man on a slippery slope of escalating costs that ended at the High Court yesterday.

Lennon had inserted himself into the case of a young Syrian refugee who had been subjected to racist abuse and bullying at his school near Huddersfield, declaring that the real victim was the bully, but not because he was white, you understand. In order to stand up his claims, Lennon made a number of highly creative accusations against the young refugee. As a result, the refugee and his family began an action for defamation.

Worse, there was the prospect of a further defamation action from Mike Stuchbery, who Lennon aggressively doorstepped twice, and who has since moved abroad. But on went his defence of the action that had been taken on behalf of Jamal Hijazi, with The Great Man representing himself, as he claimed by now to be insolvent.

A series of very young witnesses were questioned in court as Lennon sought fruitlessly to persuade the Judge that he, and only he, was telling THE TROOF. But this was a campaign destined to develop not necessarily to his advantage: Mr Justice Nicklin awarded Jamal Hijazi damages amounting to a cool £100,000. Costs - which Lennon will ultimately have to bear - have been estimated at between £500,000 and £750,000.

Lennon and his pals were looking to monetise his loss by putting out a video about the case, but here too there was bad news, as the BBC has reported. “At a hearing following the judgement the judge granted an injunction against Yaxley-Lennon, preventing him from repeating the allegations he made”. So that video can’t be shown in the UK.

It is thought that Lennon has made sure that significant assets, like that house he was selling recently, no longer had his name on the Title. By this action, it seems, he has attempted to place them beyond the reach of the courts. His problem is that lawyers acting for Jamal Hijazi had anticipated Lennon’s actions, which, given they may be looking at recovering a sum not unadjacent to £850,000, is entirely understandable.

Even his old favourite money raising tactic, aggressive doorstepping, is no longer an option after the Metropolitan Police went to court to have Lennon handed a stalking prevention order - on behalf of Independent journalist Lizzie Dearden - recently. So if he rocks up on any more doorsteps, there is a precedent. And another potential jail sentence.

More than four years ago, Stephen Lennon rocked up on my doorstep in the dead of night - twice. As a result, The Curse Of Zelo was upon him. Now it has completed its work.

The time of Stephen Lennon was for a time, but not for all time. Just rejoice at that news.

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