LAWYERS acting for Tommy Robinson have failed to have video footage, including a clip appearing to show the former English Defence League leader attacking a man outside a stadium, ruled inadmissible as evidence in a case trying to ban him from England football matches.
Bedfordshire Police are working with the UK Football Policing Unit in an attempt to hand Robinson, 37 – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – a football banning order. Lawyers acting for Robinson claimed video footage relied on by the police was “unreliable and unfair” and should be excluded as evidence. Scott Ivill told Luton Magistrates’ Court it was not possible to tell if the videos were genuine or had been tampered with.
Simon Jones, representing the police, said this was a “dangerous” argument because courts across the country use video evidence every day. He added: “Is the court really being asked to exclude evidence on the basis that footage might be manipulated?
“If that’s right then that in my submission is a very dangerous argument.”
District Judge Sally Fudge ruled that all four sets of clips were admissible. The clips included footage appearing to show Robinson punching a man outside a football stadium in Portugal and of him appearing to assault a man at Ascot, the district judge said.
The court previously heard Robinson was caught on camera “swinging” at a man who was knocked to the ground ahead of England’s 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the Portuguese city of Guimaraes in the Nations League semi-final in June 6.
After the incident in Portugal, which was widely circulated on social media, Robinson claimed he was acting in self-defence. A full hearing is set for March 24.
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