Robinson realised his mistake as soon as he said he was not racist
Ex-EDL leader Tommy Robinson had been jailed for 18 months for fraudulently claiming he was not racist. He made the claims in October when he left the EDL citing his concerns over the ‘dangers of far-right extremism’.
Robinson pleaded guilty to the charge and told the court that looking back he could see he was actually fooling nobody. “The trouble with fraud is that you have to convince people you are something you are not,” Robinson told the court.
“In hindsight I may have had more luck convincing people I had to leave because I was pregnant than asking them to believe I was no longer a bigot.”
Robinson was sent to jail in January 2013 for trying to use someone else’s passport to enter the USA. On his release he said he had seen the error of his ways, but to this day is still surprised that so many people had heard of the man on the passport, Barrack Obama.
During sentencing Robinson’s barrister told the court his client had spent that last stint in jail in solitary confinement, but argued this time he should be among the other inmates.
“Many people find being surrounded by shaven-headed thugs a bit intimidating, but for Mr Robinson it will be like a home away from home,” his barrister said.
“Not only that, but anyone who has heard Mr Robinson speak will realise that solitary confinement would not be a good idea. He is a danger to himself.”
Tommy Robinson came to the public’s attention in 2009 when he co-founded the EDL. He started the group because he felt the British National Party were too moderate.
