Far-Right activist Tommy Robinson is being pursued by creditors for an estimated £2million after he was ordered to compensate a Syrian schoolboy he wrongly accused of attacking a girl.
Jamal Hijazi brought a High Court Libel Case against the founder of English Defence League. He declared bankruptcy.
Campaigners now claim that Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, is ‘hiding millions’ to avoid paying the teenager.
It emerged last night that creditors including HMRC, a former business partner and Barrow-In-Furness Borough Council, have asked an independent insolvency expert to investigate whether Robinson’s claim is genuine or whether he is ‘hiding’ assets to avoid paying his debts.
Campaign group Hope Not Hate allege that Robinson has access to assets worth up to about £3million through property acquisitions, investments, donations and book sales.
Jamal sued Robinson after making false accusations against the Syrian schoolboy via Facebook, November 2018.
After a video showing the teenager being attacked at school went viral, the far-Right activist wrongly claimed that Jamal was ‘not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school’.
Tommy Robinson (pictured) is being pursued by creditors for an estimated £2million after he was ordered to compensate a Syrian schoolboy he wrongly accused of attacking a girl
Jamal Hijazi, the High Court libel judge against Jamal Hijazi had brought against English Defence League founder English Defence League. (pictured)
He also wrongly claimed that Jamal had ‘beat a girl black and blue’ and ‘threatened to stab’ another boy at his school.
Jamal denied the claims and told the High Court that the slurs had had a ‘devastating effect’ on the lives of him and his family, who had come to the UK as refugees from Homs in Syria.
The judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, said the consequences of Robinson’s falsehoods had been ‘particularly severe’ for Jamal and the scars would ‘likely last for many years, if not a lifetime’.
Robinson was ordered to pay Jamal £100,000 in libel damages plus an estimated £1.5million in legal costs, but the teenager has not yet seen a penny due to the activist’s bankruptcy claim.
Hope Not Hate have launched a crowdfunder to pay insolvency expert Heath Sinclair, of Richard Long & Co.
Robinson has three months to give the expert a chance to locate any money or assets that Robinson might be hiding. Otherwise, he may declare bankruptcy. It could become more difficult to get back what he owes.
Bankruptcies last for twelve months. However, an independent expert may apply to the court for the suspension of bankruptcy discharge.
In November 2018, Jamal was filmed being waterboarded on the Huddersfield secondary school field and was shared across the country.
Mr Justice Nicklin ruled in Jamal’s favour and granted him £100,000 in damages
However, the official receiver is the only one who has done the job. The creditors want the expert to uncover additional assets.
He has the power to look at Robinson’s bank records, to interview people under oath and apply for search warrants if necessary.
Campaigners claim a Bedfordshire mansion worth £1.2million is owned by Robinson’s ex-wife Jenna Lennon, but that Robinson is often seen at the property chatting to builders.
Hope Not Hate’s chief executive Nick Lowles said: ‘Jamal Hijazi is a victim of Tommy Robinson’s vitriol, and it is important that Robinson is held to account.
‘It is wholly unjust that while his victim’s life has been turned upside down, Tommy Robinson carries on his life as before.
‘Tommy Robinson has to understand that there are real consequences to his hate. It is time to make him pay up and ensure that his victims get proper justice.’
MailOnline asked Robinson to comment.
Robinson, a long-time activist, used advertising through his social media channels and crowdfunding methods to raise money. But this was stopped by Facebook and other tech giants.
Now, his main outlet is on Gettr. Jason Miller, an ex-aide to Donald Trump, set it up.
Robinson was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to fraud. He also has convictions for stalking, assault, using someone else’s passport, using threatening behaviour, and contempt of court.