A contempt of court case against the far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been adjourned at the Old Bailey after a brief hearing.
The recorder of London, Nicholas Hilliard QC, adjourned the case, saying he would receive written submissions before making a ruling at a later date.
The recorder’s ruling will determine whether there will be a substantive hearing at the Old Bailey into the alleged contempt of court.
Robinson was released on bail with the only condition that he does not approach within 400 metres of Leeds crown court, where his original hearing took place.
Following the short hearing, Robinson waved to his supporters from a window in the Old Bailey canteen, to huge cheers and chants of: “We will be back again, we will be back again” and, “Oh Tommy Tommy.” 
Robinson, wearing jeans, black trainers, and a grey checked jacket, sat behind his barrister, Richard Furlong, in court. He was referred to by his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, throughout the brief hearing.
Robinson said he was being prosecuted as a “political prisoner” as his hearing was adjourned. “This is an embarrassment to … British justice,” he told reporters outside the courtroom.
“What I was hoping is that if they would send me to prison today – which I thought they would – then I would be home for Christmas with my three children. Now they’ve put it back.”
Robinson said three journalists had breached the same reporting restriction as him but that he was being singled out “for being Tommy Robinson”.
“I’ve served far more of a sentence than anyone should have served for reporting on a court case. All of you report on political prisoners and that’s what I am. It’s exactly the same.” 
Access to the courtroom was tightly restricted to members of the press and around a dozen of Robinson’s close supporters, including the English Defence League co-founder Kevin Carroll and Gavin McInnes, the co-founder of Vice.
Earlier, more than 150 supporters of Robinson chanted his name as he arrived at the Old Bailey.
Carrying union jacks, St George’s cross flags and placards reading “free Tommy”, they outnumbered a 30-strong counter-protest organised by antifascist groups.
The 35-year-old founder of the English Defence League was released from prison last month after three leading judges quashed a finding of contempt of court made at Leeds crown court in May, and granted him conditional bail from a 13-month jail sentence.
The case centres on an allegation that he breached reporting restrictions on a trial at Leeds crown court by confronting defendants while streaming live on Facebook.