"Father Ted creator Graham Linehan told police that he grabbed a transgender activist's phone in a reflex response to taunting about his family life, a court has heard. The 57-year-old Irish comedy writer is on trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court accused of harassing trans woman Sophia Brooks. The court was told that Linehan and the activist met for the first time in person outside the Battle of Ideas conference in Westminster"
"I was first approached by Tarquin when I arrived at the venue and I was subject to a form of harassment with Tarquin approaching me and filming me at close quarters. This typically involved placing a phone immediately in front of someone's face only a few inches away and filming them while trying to provoke a reaction. People often try to block the phone and Tarquin treats that as a game. He had no respect at all for people's privacy"
Graham Linehan faces trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court accused of harassing trans woman Sophia Brooks following an encounter outside the Battle of Ideas conference on October 19. A video shown in court appeared to show Linehan grabbing the complainant's phone while the activist filmed and questioned him about comments on teenagers. The complainant said Linehan called them abusive names including 'sissy porn-watching scumbag', a groomer and a disgusting incel. Linehan told police he reacted reflexively to being filmed at close quarters and said the activist repeatedly invaded his personal space. Prosecutors said Linehan used the name Tarquin on social media as a derogatory term for the complainant.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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