Graham Linehan, the co-creator of the popular show Father Ted, has confessed to tossing a phone belonging to a transgender activist following a disagreement. He is currently facing trial in London for allegedly harassing Sophia Brooks, a transgender woman. The incident, which took place outside the Battle of Ideas conference in Westminster on October 19 last year, involved Linehan damaging Brooks’ phone.
According to Brooks, Linehan verbally attacked her before grabbing her device. Linehan, on the other hand, attributes his actions to heightened adrenaline and the alleged harassment he faced from transgender activists prior to the altercation. Although Linehan admits to throwing the phone, he denies the accusation of harassing Brooks on social media between October 11 and 27, 2024.
Additionally, Linehan refutes the charge of causing criminal damage to Brooks’ phone, which is estimated to have incurred a cost of £369. Testifying in court, Katherine Harris, the co-founder of LGB Alliance UK, mentioned witnessing Brooks standing up with a camera during a panel discussion. Harris described the incident as deliberate and intimidating, stating that Linehan’s behavior felt intrusive and aggressive.
During the court proceedings, Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker highlighted Linehan’s relentless social media posts targeting the victim, which were characterized as abusive and vindictive. The prosecution emphasized that the purpose of Linehan’s posts was to express his disdain for Brooks, rather than to relay events or express political opinions. Faure Walker also confirmed that Linehan seized and threw Brooks’ phone.
The court heard that the alleged incident of criminal damage to the phone occurred after Brooks approached Linehan while filming and questioned him about previous accusations made against her online. Linehan responded by using derogatory language towards Brooks. In addition to Father Ted, Linehan, who is originally from Dublin, is known for creating successful TV shows like The IT Crowd and Black Books.