Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has pleaded not responsible to harassing a transgender girl and damaging her cellphone.
The Bafta-winning author, who additionally got here up with TV sitcoms The IT Crowd and Black Books, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Courtroom on Monday to disclaim the costs of harassing Sophia Brooks on social media and damaging her cell in October.
Linehan, 56, who created the three-season sitcom Father Ted within the Nineties with fellow Irish author Arthur Mathews, stated in a put up on X in April that the allegations had been associated to an incident on the Battle of Concepts convention in London on 19 October.
Courtroom paperwork present Linehan is charged with harassing the alleged sufferer, a transgender activist, by posting abusive feedback about her on social media between 11 October and 27 October, and damaging her cellphone to the worth of £369 on the day of the convention.
Outdoors court docket after the quick listening to, he wore a T-shirt with an image of a Day by day Telegraph entrance web page with the headline ‘Trans girls are usually not girls’, and stated: “For six years, ever since I started defending the rights of girls and kids in opposition to a harmful ideology, I’ve confronted harassment, abuse and threats.
“I’ve lost a great deal, but I am still here, and I will not waver in my resolve.”
Deputy District Choose Louise Balmain instructed Linehan his trial would happen on 4 September this 12 months on the similar court docket.
Linehan has turn out to be a robust vocal critic of the trans rights motion in recent times.
He was freed on bail with the situation to not contact the complainant straight or not directly.
