Thread by @jamesdoleman

Proceedings resume in the case of Jamal Hijazi V Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson)

Mr Robinson calls his second witness, (again as it's a younger person I'm choosing not to name them)

The witness confirms that he had a "troubled time at school," says he is not a supporter of the English Defence League but thinks is was an organisation that "tackled grooming gangs," and wasn't a racist group.

The witness says he was only physically aggressive when he was provoked, says he "can't stand bullies," as he was a victim of bullying when he was younger. Says he is not a racist.

Witness says the school was "very mixed, "and there were no race-based gangs.

The witness says the incident with Jamal happened after he called him "a white bastard," which he responded to by grabbing his throat.
He later heard Jamal was "taking the mick out of him," and had threatened to stab him so he held Jamal down and threw water over him.

(This was the incident that was captured on video and widely circulated on social media)

The witness says he was not involved in an earlier incident where Jamal ended up with a broken arm.

The witness says that after the video circulated he was expelled from school and give a police caution for common assault. Robinson notes there was no charge of a racist crime.

The witness says that after the video was released groups of men drove past his house, his family was frightened by this and called the police who attended the scene and told him to leave the property, so he went to stay with a family member.

The judge intervenes to say that this issue is not relevant to the proceedings in the case, and asks Mr Robinson to move on to another topic.

Robinson brings into evidence social media messages threatening the witness and his family. The witness says he was "absolutely terrified," and they were "awful to read."

The witness says he gave a statement to a freelance journalist which was later given to The Sun newspaper, but had much of his defence, he says, edited out.

Catrin Evans QC, for the claimants, rises to cross-examine the witness. He says he wasn't aware Jamal was a Muslim. He says a member of Robinson's defence team assisted him with his witness statement.

Evan's is challenging the witness on his statement which suggests that the school did not take the incident with Jamal very seriously until the video came to their notice.

Evan's says that Mr Robinson has repeatedly claimed that the witness was a "scapegoat," and had only been expelled "because you are white."

The QC noted the witness's school records have150 pages of reports of disciplinary incidenst including /2bullying, intimidation and violence," as well as intimidating teachers, and had been temporarily excluded from school 19 times.
He agrees he had a "troubled time," at school.

Evans quotes from the school records saying the witness had verbally abused pupils and staff, had deliberately set off a fire alarm, and had been highly disruptive in class.
The witness says there were also incidents of positive behaviour and he had been "trying to change."

The witness agreed that before the incident in question he had already been warned he faced being expelled from school if there were any further instances of violent conduct.

Evans is now showing that witness an internal email from a teacher at the school describing an incident with a female teacher which led to a male teacher having to intervene, "staff and students are intimidated by him and do not feel safe," it says.

The lawyer now reading a school incident report where the witness was involved in an alleged assault on an Asian student.
The witness says he does not recall this happening.

The witness tells the court he was "quite hot-headed," for a time, but had now changed. Says again any physical violence he had been involved only happened when he was provoked.

The witness denied he regularly bullied Jamal Hijazi, says "if anyone was the bully it was him."
Counsel shows the court a school "incident report," which says the witness had previously poured water over Jamal, "He's a liar," the witness responds.

Court now being shown an email from a support worker saying Jamal and his sister were being racially abused at school and told to "go home."

The witness says that too is a lie.

Court breaks for lunch, back at 2pm.