Judge overturns conviction for sitcom writer Linehan over damaging transgender activist’s phone

LONDON (AP) — Graham Linehan, the co-creator of TV sitcoms “Father Ted” and the “IT Crowd,” on Friday had his conviction for damaging the mobile phone of a teenage transgender activist overturned.

Linehan, 57, was found guilty in November of criminal damage to then 17-year-old Sophia Brooks’ phone during a dispute outside a conference in London in October 2024. He was cleared of harassing Brooks on social media.

He appealed the criminal damage conviction and a two-day hearing was held this week at London’s Southwark Crown Court.

Judge Amanda Tipples, who was assisted by two magistrates, said that the initial report made by Brooks did not mention damage to the phone, but referred to harassment instead.

“Having considered all the evidence before us, we cannot be sure that the damage to the complainant’s phone was caused by Mr. Linehan on the evening of the 19th of October 2024. We therefore found Mr. Linehan not guilty of the offense,” the judge said.

The Irish comedy writer has become better known for his assertion that trans women are men and criticism of trans activism, expressed in often vituperative social media posts.

At his trial last year, District Judge Briony Clarke said that while Linehan’s posts were “deeply unpleasant, insulting and even unnecessary,” they did not amount to harassment.

In September, Linehan was arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting violence against transgender people in posts on X. He had posted that trans women were violent criminals if they used women-only facilities. He advocated hitting them if calling police and other measures failed to stop them from using such facilities.

He was not charged, but the arrest sparked a debate about freedom of speech and its limits.