Emmy award-winning comedy writer Graham Linehan has been cleared of harassing transgender activist Sophia Brooks online but was found guilty of criminal damage in a London court on Tuesday.
Linehan, co-creator of Father Ted, Black Books, and The IT Crowd, faced allegations of sending “abusive and vindictive” messages on social media. He was also charged with damaging Brooks’s mobile phone after knocking it from their hand during a London conference.
District Judge Briony Clarke ruled that Linehan’s behaviour, while “unattractive, annoying or irritating,” did not meet the threshold for harassment. She also found that Brooks was not “as alarmed and distressed” as claimed.
However, the judge concluded Linehan acted “angry and fed up” when taking the phone and did not exercise “reasonable force,” convicting him of criminal damage. He was fined £500, ordered to pay £650 in costs, and a £200 statutory surcharge.
Linehan has been a prominent figure in debates on free speech and transgender issues in the UK. Earlier this year, he was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport over accusations of inciting violence via X (formerly Twitter) posts, a case later dropped by prosecutors.
The case highlights the ongoing tension between online conduct, free speech, and accountability for public figures in sensitive social debates.
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