Graham Linehan has pleaded not guilty to charges of harassment and criminal damage and told a London court that transgender activists had "made his life hell".
Giving evidence on the second day of his trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, the Father Ted co-creator said he had been "demonised" over his views on gender identity and described the proceedings as "just the latest attempt to punish me by process." The prosecution alleges that Linehan "relentlessly" posted abusive comments about 18-year-old Sophia Brooks on social media last October and that he later threw her phone into a road. Linehan denies the allegations.
On the witness stand, Linehan said his public profile as a critic of aspects of transgender activism has left him subject to sustained attacks by campaigners and by journalists covering the debate. "Trans activists have spent the last 10 years demonising anyone who stands up to them," he told the court, adding that his life had been "made hell by activists, by journalists." He also told the court he believed police were "doing the bidding" of some activists and that they accepted their accounts unquestioningly.
The prosecution's case centres on social media posts and an incident in which the defendant is accused of seizing Brooks's phone and throwing it into a roadway. Court papers and submissions for the case say the alleged social media conduct was repeated and persistent. Linehan has pleaded not guilty to both charges and is contesting the allegations.
The trial follows a period in which Linehan's statements about gender identity attracted public controversy and online disputes. He has been a prominent and polarising voice on the topic, and defence counsel argued in court that his public comments explain why he has been the focus of complaints and scrutiny.
Prosecutors say the evidence will show the account of harassment and property damage as alleged; defence witnesses and Linehan's testimony seek to rebut that portrayal. The hearing is being held at Westminster Magistrates' Court and continued on Friday. No sentencing is taking place at this stage; the matter remains before the court as legal teams present evidence and examine witnesses.
The case is part of broader public and legal debate in the United Kingdom over conduct on social media, freedom of expression and the rights of transgender people and their critics. The trial is set to continue as the court hears further evidence and submissions from both the prosecution and the defence.