I think it probably counts a public order offence of harassment at this point yes.
I think Glinner got charged under the Public Order Act 1986 if memory serves (I need to check)
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/64/contents
This is the act.
4A Intentional harassment, alarm or distress.
(1)A person is guilty of an offence if, with intent to cause a person harassment, alarm or distress, he—
(a)uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or
(b)displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,
thereby causing that or another person harassment, alarm or distress.
(2)An offence under this section may be committed in a public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where the words or behaviour are used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation is displayed, by a person inside a dwelling and the person who is harassed, alarmed or distressed is also inside that or another dwelling.
(3)It is a defence for the accused to prove—
(a)that he was inside a dwelling and had no reason to believe that the words or behaviour used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation displayed, would be heard or seen by a person outside that or any other dwelling, or
(b)that his conduct was reasonable.
BUT there is also this paragraph:
29JProtection of freedom of expression
Nothing in this Part shall be read or given effect in a way which prohibits or restricts discussion, criticism or expressions of antipathy, dislike, ridicule, insult or abuse of particular religions or the beliefs or practices of their adherents, or of any other belief system or the beliefs or practices of its adherents, or proselytising or urging adherents of a different religion or belief system to cease practising their religion or belief system.
So the police might want to reflect on this section a little.
Also I think we are straying into perverting the course of justice with some of this stuff too.
https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/public-justice-offences
The offence of perverting the course of justice is committed when an accused:
- does an act or series of acts;
- which has or have a tendency to pervert; and
- which is or are intended to pervert;
- the course of public justice.
The course of justice must be in existence at the time of the act(s). The course of justice starts when:
- an event has occurred, from which it can reasonably be expected that an investigation will follow; or
- investigations which could/might bring proceedings have actually started; or
- proceedings have started or are about to start.
The course of justice refers to civil justice as well criminal justice.
In R v Cotter and Others [2002] EWCA Crim 1033 it was held that where the prosecution case is that a false allegation has been made, all that is required is that the person making the false allegation intended that it should be taken seriously by the police. It is not necessary to prove that she/he intended that anyone should actually be arrested.
^^
The offence of perverting the course of justice is sometimes referred to as “attempting to pervert the course of justice”. It does not matter whether or not the acts result in a perversion of the course of justice: the offence is committed when acts tending and intended to pervert a course of justice are done. The words "attempting to" should not appear in the charge. It is charged contrary to common law, not the Criminal Attempts Act 1981: R v Williams [1990] 10 WLUK 130.
Some examples of what may amount to a charge of perverting the course of justice include:
- causing a person to be arrested or to fall under suspicion;
- materially affecting proceedings e.g. obtaining bail when it might not have been obtained, receiving a sentence which might not otherwise have been passed;
- persuading, or attempting to persuade, by intimidation, harm or otherwise, a witness not to give evidence, to alter their evidence or to give false evidence
- interference with jurors with a view to influencing their verdict;
- false alibis and interference with evidence or exhibits;
- giving false information, or agreeing to give false information, to the police with a view to frustrating a police inquiry; for example, lying as to who was driving when a road traffic accident occurred;
- lending a driving licence to another to produce to the police following a notice to produce, thereby avoiding an offence of driving whilst disqualified being discovered;
- agreeing to give false evidence;
- concealing or destroying evidence or providing a false alibi;
- assisting others to evade arrest for a significant period of time.