Overview

• Graham Linehan, co-creator of 'Father Ted,' appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 12, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to charges of harassment and criminal damage.
• The charges stem from an October 2024 incident at the Battle of Ideas conference in London, where Linehan allegedly damaged activist Sophia Brooks’s phone and posted abusive comments about her online.
• Court documents reveal the phone was valued at £369, and the alleged harassment occurred on social media between October 11 and October 27, 2024.
• Linehan was released on bail with conditions prohibiting him from contacting Brooks directly or indirectly until the trial.
• The trial is scheduled to take place on September 4, 2025, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where Linehan intends to contest the charges.