Robinson found not guilty over border terror charge

Tommy Robinson has been cleared of a terror offence after refusing to give police access to his phone when he was stopped at the border in a Bentley with thousands of pounds in cash.

- INDEPENDENT STAFF

Robinson, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was driving a silver Bentayga SUV to the Spanish tourist hotspot of Benidorm when he was stopped by officers at the Channel Tunnel last year, a court heard.

Police were suspicious of the 42-year-old's "vague replies" about what he was doing and demanded access to his iPhone under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, which gives police the power to stop anyone passing through a UK port "to determine whether they may be involved or concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism".

Yesterday, district judge Sam Goozee found Robinson not guilty of failing to comply with the counterterrorism powers during the incident in Folkestone on 28 July last year. Mr Goozee said: "I cannot put out of my mind that it was actually what you stood for and your political beliefs that acted for the principle reason for this stop."