Writer's anti-trans ally gives evidence in his harassment case

The teenage trans activist who accuses Graham Linehan of harassing her had been ‘aggressively’ photographing attendees at a conference, a court heard.

The 57-year-old Father Ted co-creator is accused of causing £369 worth of damage to Sophia Brook’s iPhone  when he threw it to the ground at the Battle of Ideas conference in Westminster last October.

He is also accused of harassment without violence over comments posted about Ms Brooks on social media, but denies both charges.

Linehan repeatedly posted on X calling Ms Brooks, now 18, a ‘man,, ’sociopathic’, a ‘domestic terrorist’ and a ‘psycho posh kid’. And when she confronted him he called her a ‘disgusting incel’ and a ‘sissy porn-watching scumbag’.

When the pair met at the Battle of Ideas conference, Ms Brooks filmed Linehan. He called her a ‘groomer’ before grabbing her phone and throwing it onto the road.

District Judge Briony Clarke heard further evidence in his case today.

Linehan appeared in court via video-link wearing a black jacket, white shirt and glasses.

Kate Harris, a trustee of anti-trans group the LGB alliance and a friend of Linehan’s, said she saw Ms Brooks at the Battle Of Ideas conference taking photographs of attendees.

She said she saw Ms Brooks, who she did not know at the time, sat with trans activist Freda Wallace. ‘My heart sank when I saw the pair of them before they did anything.

‘My heart sank because in the last decade I can’t remember a single person who holds their views who is able to engage in a constructive dialogue, their main avenue of communication is malicious legal actions, insults or attacks.’

She said she saw Ms Brooks – who she described as ‘a big bloke’ – get up with a camera.

Describing the trans woman as ‘he’ throughout, Ms Harris said: ’He was beginning to photograph in a way I can only describe as intimidating. My reaction was this is not someone interested in the conference taking photos, this was taking pictures in people’s faces.

‘It was I think a deliberately intimidatory move on his part and he would not stop, it went on and on and on and on. It felt intrusive and aggressive.  It felt tinged with violence to me. I could see it was going to escalate, it was deliberate provocation and every single person was in his sights.’

Ms Harris described the camera as Ms Brooks’ ‘weapon of choice’, adding: ‘The whole of the audience was aware there was a large man deliberately going around intruding into other people’s spaces and if anyone objected or turned away he would just say "don’t touch me" and continue.

‘I was hoping security would come to remove him as the whole place was disputed, there was a nervous energy, "what’s he going to do next?", just a horrible atmosphere waiting to see how this would pan out.’

Ms Harris also told of how crickets were released into the room hosting the LGB Alliance conference eight days before the Battle Of Ideas event. Linehan has claimed Ms Brooks was responsible for releasing the insects, which she denies.

Ms Harris  told how she heard screaming  and ‘saw people running towards the exit… racing to get out.

‘I didn’t know what had happened but subsequently found out thousands of live crickets had been released into the audience all over the place, down people’s necks, bags, clothes, everywhere.’

She said she later realised the people running out were the perpetrators not attendees when she found them being held by security. ’I would say they looked about 16,’ she added, saying they believed the speaker was a threat to trans children.

Ms Harris described Linehan is an ‘old friend’ saying that they have worked together on ‘similar battles’ for many years.

She said the LGB Alliance does not have an ‘ideology’ as believing there are two sexes is a ‘biological fact’. ‘Anyone can define themselves as a poodle or zebra… but factually you are not a poodle or zebra or woman if you are a biological man. We mustn’t overcomplicate things.

‘I’m fully in favour of children not conforming to gender norms, I’m opposing children like me, who thought she was a boy, who was put into the boy’s team in at school, if someone had taken me aside and said maybe you were born in the wrong body I would have had surgery turned into a boy and I would not have grown up be me- a happy lesbian.’

Linehan was arrested by armed police on plane at Heathrow Airport in September in relation to three separate posts about trans issues but the Metropolitan Police later said no charges would be brought.

He has called himself ‘the most hated man on the internet’, and told how comedy jobs ‘fell away’ when he started posting about transgender issues. A Father Ted musical was axed in 2022 because of his controversial opinions – and his refusal to formally detach himself from the project. 

Linehan, who now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, denies harassment without violence and criminal damage to property under £5,000. The trial has been adjourned until November 25.

- by Court News UK

Published: 29 Oct 2025