Graham Linehan goes on trial over alleged harassment of trans woman

Ian YoungsCulture reporter andSam HarrisonBBC NewsMoment Graham Linehan seems to seize cellphone of trans activistFather Ted co-creator Graham Linehan “relentlessly” posted abusive feedback a couple of teenage transgender campaigner on social media earlier than throwing her cellphone in a highway, a courtroom has been instructed.The Irish author is on trial in London on costs of harassment and prison injury. He has pleaded not responsible.Westminster Magistrates’ Courtroom was instructed that the 57-year-old used social media to publish a collection of “abusive and vindictive” posts about Sophia Brooks, 18.Mr Linehan instructed police it didn’t quantity to harassment. He additionally mentioned exposing the ways of trans activists was within the public curiosity, and that knocking the cellphone was a “reflex response”, the courtroom heard.This trial shouldn’t be linked to the allegations that led to his much-publicised arrest at Heathrow Airport on Monday.He mentioned he was met by 5 armed officers over messages he had beforehand posted about trans individuals on X, sparking a backlash from some public figures and politicians, and inflaming a fierce debate about policing and free speech.In that case, he was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence, and has been bailed “pending additional investigation”.In the meantime, the trial that opened on Thursday is listening to allegations that he harassed Ms Brooks on social media final October earlier than damaging her cellphone when she tried to confront him exterior a convention.The prosecution, led by Julia Faure Walker, mentioned Mr Linehan posted a string of tweets focusing on Ms Brooks and accusing her of a “homophobic assault” by being concerned in disruption of an LGB Alliance convention on 11 October 2024 when hundreds of reside crickets have been launched.His posts included calling the complainant – whom he known as Tarquin – a “deeply disturbed sociopath” and a “home terrorist”, the courtroom heard.The messages have been “not merely irritating or annoying, however slightly oppressive and unacceptable, thereby crossing the edge into harassment”, Ms Faure Walker mentioned.On October 13, Linehan posted a declare that the activist was “behind numerous episodes of harassment of ladies and homosexual males each on-line and off”, and that “he’s a deeply disturbed sociopath and I consider he had some involvement in Friday’s homophobic assault”.Ms Brooks instructed the courtroom the LGB Alliance was a “hate group” that had “advocated for the eradication of trans rights”, however the prosecution mentioned the activist “wasn’t even contained in the venue and there’s no proof she was concerned”.Graham Linehan dons placard exterior courtroom for alleged harassment caseGiving proof, Ms Brooks instructed the courtroom she “felt alarmed and distressed” and was afraid for her security following Mr Linehan’s posts.”I used to be being branded as a deeply disturbed sociopath by a comparatively well-known particular person with over 500,000 followers – any of which might see Mr Linehan’s publish and trigger nice hurt to me,” she added.The courtroom additionally heard how the pair met on the Battle of Concepts convention eight days after the earlier incident.Ms Brooks mentioned Mr Linehan approached her on the convention and referred to as her a “groomer” and requested “what number of children” she’d groomed.A couple of hours later, Ms Brooks referred to as out to Mr Linehan exterior the venue and requested why he had referred to as her a “home terrorist”, the prosecution mentioned.The prosecution alleged that Mr Linehan “intentionally whacked” Ms Brooks’ cellphone out of her hand after she challenged him whereas filming.A video performed to the courtroom appeared to indicate Mr Linehan grabbing the complainant’s cellphone.The activist mentioned: “He grabbed my hand and forcibly ripped my cellphone out of it after which took my cellphone behind his again and refused to offer it to me.” He then threw it into the highway, she mentioned.Mr Linehan’s lawyer, Sarah Vine KC, instructed her: “You spent that afternoon harassing ladies after which harassing Mr Linehan and also you used your cellphone for the needs of that.”No matter injury there was to your cellphone, you can not presumably make sure that was the results of what Mr Linehan did.”Prosecutors mentioned the change included extra insults that confirmed Mr Linehan’s “excessive private animosity in direction of her”.The courtroom heard that Mr Linehan, who additionally created TV sitcoms The IT Crowd and Black Books, supplied a ready assertion when he was interviewed beneath warning on 5 February.Ms Faure Walker mentioned: “He mentioned, in abstract, that he thought of that the complainant – whom he known as Tarquin all through the ready assertion – had harassed him by approaching him and filming him at shut quarters.”He mentioned he tried to disregard the complainant, the complainant provoked him and made a provocative assertion, put the cellphone in his face, he grabbed the cellphone and threw it to the facet, it was a reflex response.”In relation to the web posts, the defendant didn’t settle for it amounted to harassment. As a journalist – as he described himself – he believed exposing ways of trans actions was within the public curiosity.”District Choose Briony Clarke mentioned the prosecution addressed the complainant in accordance with their “affirmed gender identify”, whereas the defendant’s place was that the “complainant is male”.The trial continues.