A London court cleared comedy writer Graham Linehan of harassing a transgender activist but convicted him of criminal damage after he knocked a phone from their hand.
LONDON: A London court on Tuesday cleared Emmy award-winning comedy writer Graham Linehan of harassing a transgender activist online.
District Judge Briony Clarke ruled she was not convinced Linehan’s conduct “was oppressive and unacceptable beyond merely unattractive, annoying or irritating”.
The judge also concluded activist Sophia Brooks was not “as alarmed and distressed as they portrayed themself to be”.
However, Linehan was found guilty of criminal damage for deliberately knocking a phone from Brooks’s hand during a London conference.
Clarke ruled he was “angry and fed up” and did not use “reasonable force” when the phone was taken from Brooks.
The court fined him £500 and ordered him to pay costs of £650 plus a £200 statutory surcharge.
Linehan, co-creator of “Father Ted”, “Black Books” and “The IT Crowd”, has become known for his gender critical views in recent years.
He was arrested earlier this year at London’s Heathrow Airport over accusations of inciting violence with social media posts about transgender people.
That arrest sparked backlash and claims of state overreach, including from Elon Musk.
UK prosecutors announced in October they would take “no further action” in the airport arrest case.
