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Legal representatives told the court that law enforcement had valid concerns that Tommy Robinson's mobile held information related to acts of terrorism when they detained him last year as he tried to depart from the UK.

Refusal to Give Phone Password

The far-right activist, whose legal name is Tommy Robinson, reportedly refused to hand over his phone pin to officers, claiming it included “journalistic material.” This happened after he was stopped at the Channel tunnel on July 28, 2024.

Prosecution Arguments on Anti-Terror Powers

On the final day of the proceedings, state lawyer Jo Morris stated that the counter-terrorism powers employed by police are intended to permit intelligence gathering. She claimed that officers had valid grounds to think the defendant continued to have connections to far-right activists, even after the disbandment of the EDL organization.

“Although his affiliation of the EDL has come to an end, his beliefs have not gone away. He is recognized for holding those opinions and therefore it is a valid concern to think that on his phone there may be data pertaining to acts of terrorism,” she informed the court.

The prosecutor added, “His beliefs – to which he is entitled – were not the subject for their attention on July 28. It was his association to individuals who are possibly involved in illegal actions.”

Details of the Detention

The activist had arrived alone at the Eurotunnel in a silver Bentley belonging to a acquaintance and was on his way to the Spanish resort of Benidorm with more than £13,000 in a small bag, the trial heard.

The money was said to have been from a donation drive to offset costs from organizing a major rally that took place the day before 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 90 days in prison or a possible £2,500 penalty if convicted.

His lawyer, defense counsel, said in closing submissions that anti-terror officers who detained Robinson had engaged in a speculative search” and that he had been illegally held.

Citing evidence from officers who said they called “partner agencies” after arresting Robinson, the defense lawyer said this was a reference to the security services and that no evidence had been presented from the security service to suggest his defendant was a terrorist.

He said the police action was biased” because it was based to a “significant degree on a protected characteristic.” He said that the main factor” on the decision to detain him was “‘oh look, it’s Tommy Robinson”.

He added that police had used an special authority that needs to be carefully regulated” to try to discover details that was previously available. Williamson proposed that Robinson journeyed to Benidorm regularly, which ought to have lessened the officers’ suspicions about him.

Legal Costs and Verdict Timing

Robinson claimed that his legal costs in the proceedings were being paid for by the tech billionaire, the owner of X and Tesla, who has appeared as an ally of the far-right activist and recently spoke at a rally arranged by him in the capital via a livestream.

A proposed day of next Tuesday for the decision was changed by the district judge, the judge, after the defense explained his client was scheduled to be a invitee of the Israel's administration from the midweek and would not return until October 25.

{“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 Williamson.

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