Father Ted creator Graham Linehan argued that his posts on social media about trans activists were in the ‘public interest’, after he referred to one activist as a ‘deeply disturbed sociopath’ and a ‘groomer’, according to what was presented in court.
The television comedy writer, now 57, is vehemently denying allegations of harassing trans woman Sophia Brooks, 18, through a series of posts last year, which she claimed caused her to feel ‘alarmed and distressed’.
However, the court was informed that Ms Brooks also engaged in using derogatory language, as she employed one of her accounts to call another individual a ‘weirdo nonce’, a slang term for paedophile, and expressed that she ‘hoped’ a female gender-critical activist faced an acid attack.
Ms Brooks denied having coercively threatened the police with legal actions when they initially decided not to proceed against Linehan, alleging she was not seeking ‘kudos’ for securing a conviction against a prominent gender identity critic.
The writer, known for successful sitcoms like The IT Crowd, is also accused of damaging Ms Brooks’s phone by throwing it across a road during a confrontation they had at a conference in London last year.
He received support from several backers and free speech advocates as his trial commenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, occurring just days after he was arrested by five armed officers at Heathrow in connection to another case related to social media postings.
Linehan is alleged to have described student Ms Brooks as a ‘malignant narcissist’ and an ‘absolute psycho’ in a series of social media posts last October.
He also referred to her frequently as ‘Tarquin’, something the alleged victim told the court was likely to refer to her ‘poshness’.
Father Ted creator Graham Linehan said his social media posts about trans activists were in the ‘public interest’, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard
The television comedy writer, 57, denies harassing trans woman Sophia Brooks, 18, in a series of posts last year, which she said left her ‘alarmed and distressed’. Pictured: Linehan with a placard outside Westminster Magistrates Court
Graham Linehan arrives at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for his trial, where he is accused of harassing trans woman Sophia Brooks
The posts are believed to have started after October 11 last year, when activists released insects inside a conference in London for the LGB Alliance – which opposes charity Stonewall’s trans policies.
Ms Brooks was not among the suspects, yet Linehan linked her to the protest, the court heard.
The pair met for the first time eight days later at a free-speech conference in the capital.
Ms Brooks had been inside the venue but was asked to leave after she started filming, and later bumped into Linehan as he entered the building.
The court heard the defendant ‘approached her with his phone, recording her, calling her a groomer and asking how many she had groomed’.
Ms Brooks later challenged Linehan about why he labelled her a ‘domestic terrorist’, at which point he took her phone and threw it, allegedly causing £369 of damage.
Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker said Linehan ‘responded in a way which is indicative of his extreme personal animosity towards her’.
She said Linehan was ‘clearly proud’ of what he had done.
A court sketch of Graham Linehan as he appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court
She added that the social media posts were ‘oppressive and unacceptable, thereby crossing the threshold into harassment’.
Giving evidence, Ms Brooks drew a ripple of laughter from a section of the packed public gallery when she repeatedly told the prosecutor she was ‘alarmed and distressed’ at Linehan’s actions.
District Judge Briony Clarke twice warned the public not to react to the evidence.
The court heard Linehan was interviewed under caution on February 5 this year and provided a prepared statement, in which he claimed Ms Brooks had harassed him ‘by approaching him and filming him at close quarters’.
He said the complainant provoked him and so he threw the phone as a ‘reflex’ response.
The prosecutor said: ‘In relation to the online posts, the defendant did not accept it amounted to harassment…
‘As a journalist – as he described himself – he believed exposing tactics of trans activists was in the public interest.’
The comedy writer put his thumb up to the crowd before entering the court on Thursday
Linehan is alleged to have described student Ms Brooks as a ‘malignant narcissist’ and an ‘absolute psycho’ in a series of social media posts last October
Sarah Vine KC, for Linehan, took Ms Brooks through her social media activity in which she admitted describing someone as a ‘f***ing weirdo nonce’.
The court heard Ms Brooks said she ‘really hoped’ a gender-critical activist who had soup thrown over her was a victim of an acid attack instead.
‘Ms Brooks admitted it was ‘not an okay thing to say’.
Ms Vine added: ‘As a trans activist, being able to make a complaint that leads to his conviction means you have taken a massive scalp, a medal, you have an enormous amount of kudos if you get him convicted.’
Ms Brooks replied: ‘Okay, sure.’
Ms Vine suggested: ‘When the police told you they were not going to pursue the charges, you threatened them with legal action. You weren’t… alarmed or distressed.’
Ms Brooks replied: ‘I was.’
The trial continues.
