In a surprising turn of events, controversial far-right figure Tommy Robinson was cleared of breaching a dispersal order thanks to an error made by a police officer. The incident occurred during an antisemitism march near the Royal Courts of Justice in London in November 2022.
Inspector Steve Parker-Phipps, responsible for policing aspects of the protest, imposed a Section 35 order under the Crime and Policing Act 2014, anticipating the potential attendance of a “right-wing group.” However, during the trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, it was revealed that Inspector Parker-Phipps’ laptop battery was nearing depletion when he entered the order at 10 am on November 26. In a crucial error, he accidentally dated the form for November 24.
Robinson’s defense lawyer, Alisdair Williamson KC, presented a series of arguments, including questioning the validity of the order due to the error. “This document is not correct, is it? Can we have any confidence that there was a lawful order in place?” he asked the inspector, to which the senior officer replied, “No.”
District Judge Daniel Sternberg ultimately ruled that the error rendered the dispersal order legally unauthorized, dismissing the case against Robinson. The trial was attended by numerous supporters of the 41-year-old, who filled the public gallery.
During the incident, Robinson was sprayed with synthetic pepper spray and handcuffed by officers. He subsequently uploaded a video to social media depicting himself with partially closed eyes, alleging that he was present at the march as a journalist. Footage of his interactions with police officers was also shared on his social media account.
