Overview

• Westminster Magistrates' Court viewed footage that appeared to show Linehan grabbing Sophia Brooks’s phone, as prosecutors said he "deliberately whacked" it from her hand causing £369 of damage.
• Brooks testified that Linehan called her abusive names and that she felt "alarmed and distressed" by posts describing her as a "deeply disturbed sociopath" and a "domestic terrorist."
• Linehan has pleaded not guilty, telling police his posts were in the public interest and describing himself as a journalist, while his counsel challenged whether he caused the phone damage.
• The prosecution argued his October 2024 posts were targeted, "oppressive" and "vindictive," citing repeated references to Brooks and efforts to solicit information about her.
• Separately, the Metropolitan Police confirmed arresting a man in his 50s at Heathrow for alleged incitement of violence, and Linehan says his bail conditions include not using X.