Tommy Robinson is going through an investigation by an unbiased insolvency skilled who has been appointed in a bid to get better an estimated £2million the far-right activist owes collectors.
The English Defence League founder, actual title Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, declared himself bankrupt final March however anti-racism marketing campaign group HOPE Not Hate (HNH) believes he has entry to property value as much as an estimated £3million,
Robinson misplaced a libel case final yr after falsely accusing a Syrian refugee schoolboy of attacking a lady and was ordered by a decide to pay £100,000. As well as, he owes an estimated £1.5million in authorized prices for {the teenager}’s legal professionals.
Different collectors embrace HMRC, a former enterprise associate and Barrow-in-Furness borough council, in line with HNH. The marketing campaign group is fundraising to pay for the price of the insolvency skilled, Nigel Heath Sinclair, of Richard Lengthy & Co, who was appointed earlier this month to find funds or property earlier than March 3 – the date at which Robinson is because of be discharged from chapter.
Earlier than Mr Sinclair was appointed, the case had been dealt with by the Official Receiver’s workplace. The insolvency skilled has powers to entry Robinson’s financial institution and firm information, interview witnesses beneath oath and apply to court docket for search and arrest warrants, HNH mentioned.
Robinson misplaced a libel case final yr introduced towards him by Syrian schoolboy, Jamal Hijazi. In a clip that went viral, Hijazi was filmed being attacked within the playground at a college in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in October 2018.
Robinson subsequently posted Fb movies considered by practically a million individuals wherein he falsely claimed that the schoolboy was “not harmless and he violently assaults younger English ladies in his faculty”. He additionally claimed {the teenager} “beat a lady black and blue” and “threatened to stab” one other boy at his faculty, allegations {the teenager} denies.
Following a four-day trial in April, in a excessive court docket judgment in July, Justice Matthew dominated in Jamal’s favour and granted him the six-figure damages sum. Robinson was additionally ordered to pay authorized prices.
Catrin Evans QC, for Jamal, beforehand mentioned that Robinson’s feedback led to {the teenager}’s “going through demise threats and extremist agitation”. In the course of the trial, Ms Evans described Robinson as “a well known extreme-right advocate” with an “anti-Muslim agenda” who used social media to unfold his views.
Nick Lowles, chief govt of HNH, mentioned: “Jamal Hijazi is a sufferer of Tommy Robinson’s vitriol, and it’s important that Robinson is held to account.
“We can not stand apart and let this hateful far proper extremist defraud an harmless sufferer out of a life-changing sum of cash and stroll away free to proceed to unfold his vile ideology with the assistance of the hundreds of thousands of kilos he claims to not have.
“It’s wholly unjust that whereas his sufferer’s life has been turned the wrong way up, Tommy Robinson carries on his life as earlier than.
“HNH is placing collectively an in depth file which can help with revealing the reality as to how and the place Tommy Robinson has hidden his property. To assist us make sure that the brand new investigation has the sources it must conduct its work correctly and has the means to start asset restoration, we’re asking individuals to donate to our fundraising marketing campaign.
“Tommy Robinson has to grasp that there are actual penalties to his hate. It’s time to make him pay up and make sure that his victims get correct justice.”
HNH believes Robinson has entry to property value as much as an estimated £3million, gained by means of property acquisitions, firm investments, donations and e book gross sales.
In response to HNH, Robinson divorced his spouse, Jenna Lennon, in February final yr earlier than he declared himself bankrupt. The marketing campaign group says there was current constructing work over the autumn and winter — together with making a gymnasium in an previous double storage, in addition to a video games room above a brand new storage being constructed within the backyard — at a big indifferent house owned by her in Bedfordshire. The home was bought for £705,000 in November 2020 with a mortgage. In response to NHN, Robinson has been noticed on the property speaking to builders, typically together with his ex-wife, typically alone.
Robinson has been approached for remark.
Robinson was issued with a stalking safety order in October after focusing on The Unbiased house affairs editor, Lizzie Dearden. Robinson is interesting the order.
Kaynak: briturkish.com