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‘Tommy Robinson’ ordered to pay £100,000 to Syrian school boy after losing libel case

TOMMY ROBINSON was ordered to pay £100,000 to a Syrian schoolboy today after the English Defence League founder lost a libel case.

The far-right figurehead, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was sued by Jamal Hijazi, who had been assaulted in the playground at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield in October 2018.

Shortly after a video of the incident went viral, Mr Yaxley-Lennon claimed in two Facebook videos that Mr Hijazi was “not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school.”

Mr Justice Nicklin rejected all accusations against the now 18-year-old Mr Hijazi in a judgement today.

The judge ruled in Mr Hijazi’s favour and granted him £100,000 in damages, as well as ordering Robinson to pay costs which are understood to be more than £500,000.

Mr Yaxley-Lennon said he was “gobsmacked” by the costs, claiming he “ain’t got it.”

At a four-day trial in April, Mr Hijazi’s lawyers said Mr Yaxley-Lennon’s comments had “a devastating effect” on the schoolboy and his family, who had come to Britain as refugees from Homs, Syria.

The lawyers said they were “delighted” that the teenager had won.

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