How Tommy Robinson could be extradited after alleged King’s Cross assault
Tommy Robinson will have “few places to hide” if police obtain an arrest warrant over his alleged involvement in an assault, a leading barrister has said.
The 42-year-old left the country following an incident at St Pancras train station on Monday night which left a man with serious injuries.
British Transport Police (BTP) has launched an investigation and said that detectives want to bring their suspect “into custody for questioning.”
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has told supporters the alleged victim was “the aggressor” and that he was acting in self-defence.
Don Keith, a podcaster who has interviewed Robinson several times, also claims that Robinson did not “flee” the police investigation.
“Tommy has work obligations, that’s why he’s not in the country,” Keith said in a post on X.
“They want you to believe he’s fleeing justice, that’s not the case.”
Robinson is due to attend a “free speech” rally in London on 13 September.
Police can obtain an arrest warrant for suspects believed to be overseas during a criminal investigation.
On Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for BTP said there is “no update” in the Robinson investigation, but that the alleged victim remains in a stable condition.
How suspects are tracked down
Chris Daws KC, an experienced criminal barrister, told The i Paper: “Where a suspect in a serious assault case leaves the country and the police have grounds for an arrest warrant, there are very few places to hide.
“Generally an Interpol red notice will be issued, requiring most countries to arrest the suspect on arrival at an overseas airport, pending a formal extradition request from the UK.
“Ironically, it is harder to achieve extradition from EU countries now that we are no longer part of the streamlined European Arrest Warrant system.
“But still, very few suspects are able to evade arrest indefinitely where there is clear evidence of a serious offence in the UK.”
What police are investigating
The incident allegedly involving Robinson, the founder of the English Defence League, took place at around 8.40pm on Monday evening.
Footage shared on social media appeared to show Robinson pacing around the station with another person lying still on the floor nearby.
Robinson could be heard saying, “He come at me”, in the footage as he walked down a flight of stairs.
On Tuesday, Robinson reposted a statement to his own X profile which said: “If you cross a line and attack someone physically, or threaten to attack them physically… A pre-emptive strike is totally legal.”
Tommy Robinson will have “few places to hide” if police obtain an arrest warrant over his alleged involvement in an assault, a leading barrister has said.
The 42-year-old left the country following an incident at St Pancras train station on Monday night which left a man with serious injuries.
British Transport Police (BTP) has launched an investigation and said that detectives want to bring their suspect “into custody for questioning.”
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has told supporters the alleged victim was “the aggressor” and that he was acting in self-defence.
Don Keith, a podcaster who has interviewed Robinson several times, also claims that Robinson did not “flee” the police investigation.
“Tommy has work obligations, that’s why he’s not in the country,” Keith said in a post on X.
“They want you to believe he’s fleeing justice, that’s not the case.”
Robinson is due to attend a “free speech” rally in London on 13 September.
Police can obtain an arrest warrant for suspects believed to be overseas during a criminal investigation.
On Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for BTP said there is “no update” in the Robinson investigation, but that the alleged victim remains in a stable condition.
How suspects are tracked down
Chris Daws KC, an experienced criminal barrister, told The i Paper: “Where a suspect in a serious assault case leaves the country and the police have grounds for an arrest warrant, there are very few places to hide.
“Generally an Interpol red notice will be issued, requiring most countries to arrest the suspect on arrival at an overseas airport, pending a formal extradition request from the UK.
“Ironically, it is harder to achieve extradition from EU countries now that we are no longer part of the streamlined European Arrest Warrant system.
“But still, very few suspects are able to evade arrest indefinitely where there is clear evidence of a serious offence in the UK.”
What police are investigating
The incident allegedly involving Robinson, the founder of the English Defence League, took place at around 8.40pm on Monday evening.
Footage shared on social media appeared to show Robinson pacing around the station with another person lying still on the floor nearby.
Robinson could be heard saying, “He come at me”, in the footage as he walked down a flight of stairs.
On Tuesday, Robinson reposted a statement to his own X profile which said: “If you cross a line and attack someone physically, or threaten to attack them physically… A pre-emptive strike is totally legal.”
