A judge in England on Monday sentenced notorious far-right agitator Tommy Robinson to 18 months in prison after he admitted contempt of court over a long-running libel case involving a Syrian refugee.

The sentence is the latest prison sentence for one of Britain’s most prominent anti-Muslim activists, accused of inciting anti-immigrant riots earlier this year.

It comes after Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, pleaded guilty to 10 breaches of a 2021 Supreme Court order earlier on Monday.

This prevents the 41-year-old far-right figure from repeating false claims he made about the Syrian refugee who sued him for libel.

Imposing the 18-month sentence at Woolwich Crown Court in south-east London, judge Jeremy Johnson said Robinson’s actions were “a planned, deliberate, direct and flagrant breach of the court’s orders”.

“No one is above the law. No one can choose which orders to obey or not,” the judge added.

“It is in the interest of the whole society to comply with the measures.”

Robinson, wearing a gray suit and vest without a tie, was detained as some of his supporters watched in court.

He surrendered to police on Friday after an arrest warrant was issued for him after he failed to appear at a hearing in the case in July.

Lawyers for the Attorney General, a senior government post who advises on legal matters and pursues such cases, said during the hearing that Robinson “kept his nose out of court.”

‘Weakening’

The court accused him of “undermining” the rule of law, including helping to release a film last year called “Silenced” containing defamatory allegations.

The film is pinned to the top of Robinson’s profile on social media site X.

The former football hooligan, who helped found the now-defunct far-right English Defense League in 2009, is back in court because of his “principles”, his lawyers argued.

Robinson, who presents himself as a defender of freedom of expression, has previously served prison time for contempt of court; This is not a crime but is punishable by imprisonment.

He also has several criminal convictions, including assault.

On Saturday, thousands of his supporters and other protesters marched in central London demanding his release as well as tougher immigration laws.

Robinson, who has reportedly spent recent months outside the United Kingdom, has developed a large online following around his violent anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant messages.

Demonstrators could be heard chanting his name during anti-immigrant riots that broke out in England and Northern Ireland in late July and early August.

During the week of violence, he was widely condemned for a series of social media posts sparked by false rumors that the suspect behind the fatal stabbings of three teenage girls was a Muslim refugee.

He’s been a familiar sight at far-right rallies over the years, but last year saw his profile grow following the reactivation of his X account following billionaire Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform.