TV writer and activist Graham Linehan is set to mount an appeal against his conviction for damaging a trans activist’s mobile phone during a confrontation outside a women’s rights conference.
Linehan (57) snatched the phone of Sophia Brooks and threw it to the ground in a fracas outside the Queen Elizabeth II centre in Westminster, London, on October 19th, 2024.
The Irish comedy writer, who helped to create shows including Father Ted and Black Books, was cleared by a judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last November of harassing Brooks, then 17, with a series of social media posts before and after the incident.
But he was convicted by district judge Briony Clarke of criminal damage over his actions with the mobile phone.
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Linehan is due to appear at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday for an appeal against his conviction.
The Bafta-winning writer is a prominent anti-trans activist, and was accused of harassment for branding Brooks a “domestic terrorist”, a “groomer” and an “incel”.
In her verdict, Clarke said Linehan’s social media posts may have been “annoying” and were “deeply unpleasant, insulting and even unnecessary”, but they did not amount to “oppressive” conduct.
She criticised the teenager’s evidence, calling it “not entirely truthful”, and suggested the impact of the social media posts had been exaggerated.
Turning to the criminal damage charge, the judge dismissed Linehan’s case that he had grabbed the handset and threw it away to prevent Brooks committing a criminal offence, and said he could reasonably have known that it would be damaged.
He was “angry and fed up”, said the judge, before imposing a £500 fine on Linehan.
He was also ordered to pay costs of £650 and a court fee of £200.
Giving evidence, Linehan said his “life was made hell” by trans activists, and he called Brooks a “young soldier in the trans activist army”.
Brooks used female pronouns for herself during the trial, while Linehan referred to the teenager as male and accused Brooks of being “misogynistic” and “abusive”.
“He depended on his anonymity to get close to people and hurt them, and I wanted to destroy that anonymity,” he said, of his online posts about Brooks.
Asked about the impact on his personal life since his involvement in gender critical activism, Linehan replied: “I lost my marriage.
“When I refused to stop talking about it, that’s when they went after my wife.
“They scared her to such an extent, and the police visit scared her to such an extent – I was losing all my income, finally the pressure drove us apart.”
Linehan, who now lives in the US, is expected to appear for the start of his appeal, which is being heard by a judgers and two magistrates. - PA
