Anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson has admitted spending thousands of pounds on booze, partying and gambling while raking in donations from his supporters.
The bankrupt English Defence League founder gave evidence about his finances in court and said he struggles with a gambling addiction.
At the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Robinson said he was finding it difficult to pay £100,000 in damages following a defamation case that he lost.
Syrian teenager Jamal Hijazi was assaulted in Huddersfield in October 2018 in an incident that went viral online. This prompted Robinson to make false claims about Hijazi, for which he was ordered to pay the six-figure damages, plus around £500,000 in legal fees.
The EDL thug said he had suffered a "total mental breakdown for two or three years" and wasted money partying, using donations from supporters to gamble in casinos and other platforms. He was declared bankrupt last year.
He later admitted: "I like to give off that I am a successful man when I am not."
The court appearance came when he failed to pay £43,293 in legal costs.
Who is Tommy Robinson?
Tommy Robinson is the founder of the English Defence League, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
Robinson, who left the EDL in 2013, is known for his online stunts, earning himself a ban from Twitter and his anti-Islamic stance.
Anti-racism group Hope not Hate said he has "long sought out semi-respectability as a (self-declared) "independent journalist".
Robinson has been in prison on a number of occasions, including in 2019 when he was found in contempt of court for live-streaming a video that showed defendants in a sex-grooming trial.
His arrest prompted the #FreeTommyRobinson hashtag and there were a number of demonstrations on streets attended by thousands, some of which turned violent.
The far-right convict was married with three children until a divorce in 2020.
What is the English Defence League?
The English Defence League is a far-right organisation known for its Islamophobia.
It views Islam as a primitive religion that is not compatible with life in England but claims to not be a racist group, despite a number of members clearly spouting racist remarks over the course of its existence.
Despite the EDL claiming they are not a racist organisation that advocates white supremacy, investigations into the group have unearthed some members using derogatory slurs about people often with South Asian or Arabic backgrounds.
The group has claimed they wish to use peaceful and non-violent means to protest, but its members have been responsible for violent demonstrations across the country.
It was founded in 2009 by Kevin Carroll and Yaxley-Lennon (aka Robinson), who eventually quit the group in 2013 due to infighting. Robinson cited the "dangers of far-right extremism" as a reason for leaving.
The group has since struggled for impact and Hope Not Hate said it suffered a "lethargic and alcohol-fuelled almost comic collapse".
The group also became notable for its ability to recruit from football hooligan firms, many of which have had historical links with far-right and fascist groups.
