Four hours of phone calls a day, 80 visits, a laptop: Tommy Robinson’s life behind bars
The activist has a ‘substantially more permissive’ segregation regime than other prisoners
Details of Tommy Robinson’s life behind bars have been revealed at the High Court amid his legal challenge over his segregation from other prisoners.
Robinson, a political activist whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is currently serving an 18-month sentence for contempt of court in HMP Woodhill, a men’s high-security prison.
A High Court hearing on Thursday heard that Robinson had been placed into solitary confinement shortly after his arrival at the institution.
Robinson’s lawyers argued that was unwarranted, while the Ministry of Justice maintained it was necessary for his safety, citing concerns he had a “mark on his head” and would be “killed by a lifer”.
The ministry’s legal team said that his segregation was “substantively more permissive” than standard regimes.
They detailed his access to a laptop and emails, several hours of daily exercise, and four hours of social phone calls each day.
Tom Cross, representing the ministry, noted that 120 people had been authorised to visit Robinson, with more than 80 visits already conducted.
Additionally, 13 "non-family visits" were approved up to March 30, and Robinson could request to see other prisoners.
His visiting schedule includes two hours of social visits, four days a week, exceeding the minimum requirements for unconvicted prisoners.
Mr Cross said that the governor of the prison had said he had “significantly more visits time than any other prisoner at HMP Woodhill”.
He said that Robinson could access a telephone for four hours a day to speak to family and friends since March 11, after a request for increased phone use was approved.
In court, Mr Cross said: “Since November 1, he (Robinson) has made more than 1,250 social telephone calls.”
He continued: “In his cell, he has access to various personal possessions, (such as) TV, laptop … notebook, CD player, DVD player.”
Mr Cross said Robinson used his laptop to send and receive emails, which he had done “in their hundreds”.
Other aspects of his incarceration include a daily visit from a member of the prison’s chaplaincy team, a daily visit from an NHS doctor or registered nurse, and two and three quarter hours of work “painting and decorating”, three days a week.
In written submissions, Mr Cross said: “The claimant’s regime does not amount to total solitary confinement. It has been and will continue to be modified as conditions have permitted.
“The claimant has been permitted extensive and regular communications with other people.”
Robinson was jailed in October 2024 by Mr Justice Johnson, after admitting 10 breaches of a High Court order made in 2021.
The order barred him from repeating libellous allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him.
He will be released from HMP Woodhill on July 26.
Alisdair Williamson KC, for Robinson, said: “We are presented with a position that Woodhill is not a safe place for him to be unless he is in segregation, but that segregation is, we suggest, harming him.”
He added: “It is clear, we submit, that the distress he is suffering goes beyond that which is inherent in incarceration.”
Mr Williamson also said that Robinson disputed parts of the ministry’s claims about his life in prison.
He said: “He (Robinson) disagrees that he has been working three times a week. In fact he has the opportunity of working for one and a half hours, on a Wednesday.
“He wanted to work with other people. He is working cleaning cells, on his own.
“When he goes to the gym, he is locked in, on his own.”
He continued: “The comparators that are provided (with other prisoners), we respectfully submit, do not assist.”
Mr Justice Chamberlain will hand down his decision in writing at a later date.