Yahoo News Historian suing Tommy Robinson after 'harassment and intimidation' at his house
A fundraising campaign has been launched to help a historian sue far-right activist Tommy Robinson after he was “harassed and intimidated” at his own home.
Resisting Hate has raised more than £6,000 on Go Fund Me in the space of four days as Mike Stuchbery seeks to sue English Defence League (EDL) founder Robinson.
Mr Stuchbery told Yahoo News UK that Robinson’s doorstepping was “tantamount to a form of terrorism” and that he received death threats, ultimately forcing him to relocate to Germany.
Robinson - real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - had tracked down Mr Stuchbery’s house in Luton in March, turning up unannounced and banging on his door and windows.
It came after Mr Stuchbery had promoted a legal case against Robinson following his comments about a Syrian refugee schoolboy who was assaulted in Huddersfield last year. A video of the assault went viral.
Robinson, while filming himself, arrived at the house at night and banged on Mr Stuchbery’s front door and windows while shouting at him to come outside.
I've spent the last few months documenting how 'Tommy Robinson’ uses doorstepping to intimidate his critics, and how social media giants have enabled it.
So what does he do? Turns up at my house tonight. 1/ pic.twitter.com/NBB4B636eY— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) March 5, 2019
Police officers eventually arrived and told him to leave, but Mr Stuchbery said Robinson returned in the early hours of the following day.
The fundraising campaign aims to reach £20,000 to pursue the new case, and Mr Stuchbery said on Tuesday: “Robinson's visits, and his targeting of me by revealing my address, cost me professionally, personally and in my own relationships.
“His doorstepping of critics is tantamount to a form of terrorism. His thousands of followers, believing everything he says, pour scorn on the targets.
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“The incident put me in hospital in July for several days, with a hypertensive crisis brought on by threats. I lost a job indirectly due to the harassment, and could not find work due to ill health.”
He added: “I'm happy that the fundraiser is moving as it has. I hope that Tommy will be held to account, and I can rebuild.”
The fundraising campaign was set up by Roanna Carleton-Taylor, one of the founders of Resisting Hate. She said on the page: “We are raising money to help our associate Mike Stuchbery sue Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (AKA Tommy Robinson) with the intention of suing Lennon for his harassing and intimidating behaviour toward Mike and his family.
“The funds raised for this purpose will be passed by myself (with full public transparency and supporting evidence) to the legal firm dealing with Mike's case. Eve Solicitors, York House, 249 Manningham Lane, Bradford, BD8 7ER. The funds will be transferred Jan 2020.”
