Linehan faces harassment and damage charges in Brooks case

Graham Linehan, the writer behind sitcoms including Father Ted and The IT Crowd, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court this week accused of harassing transgender activist Sophia Brooks with abusive social media posts and of damaging her mobile phone during a confrontation in October last year. The 57 year old denies a charge of harassment allegedly committed between October 11 and October 27 and a separate charge of criminal damage for an incident on October 19 at the Battle of Ideas conference in Westminster.

Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker told the court Linehan posted about the complainant relentlessly, describing the messages as oppressive, verbally abusive and vindictive. The court heard posts in which Linehan allegedly called Brooks a deeply disturbed sociopath and linked her to a disruption at an LGB Alliance conference in which insects were released, although the prosecution said there is no evidence Brooks took part in that protest. Videotape shown in court appears to show Linehan taking Brooks's phone and throwing it into the road, and Ms Faure Walker said the device was damaged with repair costs put at 369.

Brooks, who was 17 at the time of the alleged incidents and...