A senior Metropolitan Police officer has admitted that a dispersal order signed for an incident involving Tommy Robinson may not have been lawful due to an incorrect date.
Robinson, also known as Stephen Yaxley Lennon, pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with the order to leave the area in Westminster on November 26, 2021.
During the trial, Inspector Steve Parker-Phipps acknowledged that he accidentally dated the order for November 24, despite imposing it on November 26.
The order was imposed under the Crime and Policing Act 2014 and was intended to prevent a potential clash between right-wing groups. The court heard that Robinson was arrested after organizers of the antisemitism protest he was attending requested his removal.
Parker-Phipps said he made the error because his laptop battery was running low. When questioned by Robinson’s defense lawyer, he admitted that the order may not have been lawful.
The prosecutor stated that Robinson was resistant to leaving the area and was arrested. Robinson claimed to be present as a journalist, but police argued that his presence was not welcome.
The incident was captured on video and posted on social media, showing Robinson with partially closed eyes and arguing with police officers.
The trial continues.
