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Prosecutors informed the court that police maintained valid concerns that Stephen Yaxley-Lennon's phone contained information related to terrorist activities when they detained him last year as he tried to leave the UK.

Denial to Provide Phone Password

The right-wing campaigner, using his real name is Tommy Robinson, reportedly declined to provide his password to officers, claiming it included “journalistic material.” This occurred after he was intercepted at the Channel tunnel on 28 July 2024.

Prosecution Arguments on Anti-Terror Powers

On the last day of the trial, prosecutor the prosecution argued that the anti-terror authorities used by police are designed to allow information collection. She claimed that officers had valid grounds to think the defendant continued to have links to right-wing groups, even following the dissolution of the EDL organization.

While his affiliation of the English Defence League has come to an end, his beliefs have not gone away. He is recognized for having those views and therefore it is a valid concern to believe that on his telephone there may be information relevant to terrorist acts,” she told the court.

The prosecutor added, “His beliefs – to which he is allowed – were not the subject for their concern on July 28. It was his connection to individuals who are potentially engaged in illegal actions.”

Details of the Detention

The activist had arrived by himself at the Eurotunnel in a luxury vehicle belonging to a friend and was traveling to the holiday destination of the Spanish coast with more than £13,000 in a carry-on, the court heard.

The money was reportedly from a collection to cover costs from organizing a major rally that occurred the previous day in Trafalgar Square.

Legal Team Submissions

The defendant, who disputes non-compliance with counter-terrorism powers during the incident on July 28 last year, faces up to three months in jail or a possible £2,500 fine if convicted.

His lawyer, Alisdair Williamson KC, said in closing submissions that counter-terrorism police who stopped his client had engaged in a speculative search” and that he had been illegally held.

Referring to testimony from officers who stated they contacted “partner agencies” after arresting Robinson, the defense lawyer claimed this was a reference to the security services and that no evidence had been offered from MI5 to indicate his defendant was a security threat.

Williamson said the officers’ intervention was biased” because it was based to a “significant degree on a protected characteristic.” He said that the main factor” on the choice to stop him was recognizing his identity”.

He added that police had used an “extraordinary power that needs to be carefully regulated” to try to discover information that was already known. Williamson proposed that his client traveled to Benidorm regularly, which should have lessened the police concerns about him.

Expenses and Judgment Date

The activist claimed that his legal costs in the proceedings were being covered by the tech billionaire, the proprietor of social media and electric car companies, who has appeared as an supporter of the campaigner and recently spoke at a gathering organized by him in the capital via a livestream.

A proposed date of next Tuesday for the verdict was changed by the magistrate, the judge, after Williamson said his client was scheduled to be a guest of the Israeli government from Wednesday and would not come back until 25 October.

{“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,” stated the barrister.

Goozee announced he would deliver his verdict on the morning of 4 November.