Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan has had a conviction of criminal damage after snatching the phone of a transgender activist overturned.
The Father Ted co-creator, 57, was cleared of harassing trans activist Sophia Brooks but was convicted of criminal damage following an incident outside the Battle of Ideas conference, held in Westminster, in October 2024.
This afternoon, it was ruled that the 57-year-old’s conviction for criminal damage should be overturned, following a two-day hearing at Southwark Crown Court.
Mr Linehan, who smiled and turned to supporters sitting in the public gallery, has hit out at police, accusing them of eroding public trust by backing trans rights activists who make “bad faith” claims against gender-critical advocates. In the aftermath of the ruling, he says that police failed to “properly and fairly investigate” the allegations made by Brooks.
In a statement after the ruling on Friday, Mr Linehan said the judgement from Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples was “very welcome,” but stressed that “this case should never have got to court”.
‘I HAVE SUFFERED GREATLY’
Linehan has now slammed British police, accusing the force of “failing in their duty to properly and fairly investigate” by supporting claims made by trans campaigners against opponents “even when there has been overwhelming evidence that complaints have been made… in bad faith”.
“All this has done is erode the faith the public should be able to have in the police,” said Linehan, who wore a t-shirt which read, ‘Trans women are not women.’
“We are sick of two-tier policing and I hope with today’s verdict it will end,” he said.
“I have suffered greatly in my fight to protect women and children from what I believe to be a dangerous ideology. But I am proud that I have never given in and I will not do.”
Lawyer for Mr Linehan, Sarah Vine KC, said that the complainant in the case was “determined” to see the comedian convicted as part of a “campaign” lodged against him for his gender critical views, accusing the complainant of “misusing the justice system.”
Last November, a district judge also cleared Linehan of harassing the trans activist using a series of social media posts before and after the incident in London.