Father Ted creator Graham Linehan said his social media posts about trans activists were in the ‘public interest’, after describing one campaigner as a ‘deeply disturbed sociopath’ and a ‘groomer’, a 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’.
But the court heard Ms Brooks also deployed derogatory language, using one of her X accounts to refer to another person online as a ‘weirdo nonce’ – slang for paedophile – and wrote she ‘hoped’ a female gender-critical activist was the victim of an acid attack.
She denied she threatened police with legal action – after they initially said they would not pursue the matter against Linehan – in order to get ‘kudos’ for getting the conviction of a well-known gender identity critic.
The writer, who is behind a string of hit sitcoms including The IT Crowd, is also alleged to have damaged her phone after throwing it across the road when the pair clashed at a conference in London last year.
He was backed by several supporters and free speech campaigners as he went on trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, three days after being arrested by five armed police officers at Heathrow in a separate case to do with social media posts.
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.
