Graham Linehan has arrived at court after being accused of harassing a transgender woman just days after his arrest over social media posts.
The 57-year-old comedy writer, behind major shows such as Father Ted and IT Crowd, was met by police after he arrived at Heathrow earlier this week where he was arrested on ‘suspicion of inciting violence’ for multiple posts made on X earlier this year taking aim at the transgender community.
Now, in a separate incident, he has denied harassing trans woman Sophia Brooks as well as another charge accusing him of damaging her phone.
His trial begins at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (Thursday).
The criminal damages claim details that he allegedly damaged her £369 mobile phone at the Battle of Ideas conference on October 19 – an annual event hosting public debates across a wide range of issues.
He has also been accused of harassing Brooks with alleged ‘abusive comments’ on social media in the days before and after the conference between the dates October 11 and October 27.
In a hearing about the case, which took place in May, he declared he had ‘lost a great deal’ but ‘would not waver in his resolve’.
Linehan attended the hearing wearing a t-shirt declaring ‘trans women are not women’ with an image of the For Women Scotland campaigners celebrating a Supreme Court ruling over the definition of a woman in April.
He has been banned from mentioning the alleged victim online as part of his court bail conditions.
In a statement Linehan released in April reacting to the news of the criminal case, he claimed: ‘This is part of a long history of the police acting as a goon squad for trans rights activists.’
Then added: ‘I look forward to exposing him and them in court.’
Meanwhile, his recent arrest at Heathrow (for which the Metropolitan Police confirmed a man in his 50s had been released on bail) has sparked nationwide discourse.
According to Linehan’s blog, the arrest was over three X posts in April, including one which read: ‘If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.’
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley released a statement saying his officers were placed in an ‘impossible position’.
He shared plans to put in place ‘a more stringent triaging process to make sure only the most serious cases are taken forward in future – where there is a clear risk of harm or disorder’.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wrote her thoughts about the arrest in the Daily Mail.
She declared: ‘The whole episode raises serious questions. What does it say about our country that someone can be flagged as they fly home from the US, not for terrorism, trafficking or fraud, but for expressing opinions online?’
Meanwhile, Harry Potter author JK Rowling accused the UK of becoming a ‘totalitarian’ state.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson yesterday said: ‘The prime minister and the home secretary have been clear about where their priorities for crime and policing are, and that’s tackling anti-social behaviour, shoplifting, street crime, as well as reducing serious violent crimes like knife crime and violence against women’.
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