Graham Linehan arrested on arrival at Heathrow Part 4

[IDareSay]

These threads have mostly been used to follow the case that has taken place at Westminster Magistrate's Court over the 4th and 5th September, (and will continue on the 29th October), but were created to follow the fallout of Graham's arrest at Heathrow on his return to the UK for this court case last week, and what is allegedly a conspiracy of TRAs to intimidate and harass a number of people, including Graham, with the alleged support of various police services.

He is currently on trial for alleged harassment of a trans identified male and criminal damage to the man's phone. The charges stem from a series of events in October 2024 at Battle of Ideas.

Part 1 here
Part 2 here
Part 3 here
Graham's account of the arrest here
You can support his Substack here
Or buy him a coffee here

Free Speech Union are running a fundraiser to support a claim against the Met in reference to the Heathrow arrest. Just search FSU and Graham Linehan fundraiser and it should be easy to find. At the time of posting it has reached 64% of its stretch target.
The FSU have managed to get the bail condition that @Glinner must not post on X removed, so he is now freely posting on there again.

Most of the mainstream media have reported on the case, but none have covered it as well as Nick Wallis. Follow him on X for live posting from the court again on 29th October.
You can support Nick here (posted Friday 5th September):
"I am deeply grateful to everyone who has seen fit to bung me the cost of a coffee, a pint or even a bloody London pint since I found out I was able to come back today. If you think you can afford to make a small donation, there’s more info here:"
https://store29806256.company.site

I think that's all folks!

Thank you, @IDareSay

From SV's defence for GL, I think it will be hard to find GL guilty of harassment. And I've said previously they haven't proved that any damage was a result of Gal's throwing the phone.

Bearing in mind what SB is like - the court ought to be careful that the actions of GL did actually cause the damage. I would remind the court of the language SB used when SB took the phone to the Apple Store. His words were "to assess any damage which Linehan may have caused".

any damage
may have caused

Surely if GL had damaged the phone, he'd be saying, "you broke my phone!"?

This is a complex situation with a lot of moving parts. It’ll be interesting to see how the case unfolds in court and what impact the legal proceedings have on everyone involved.

Thank you @IDareSay and @MyrtleLion

I had no idea Julie Bindel had been targeted so early on

Many thanks @IDareSay and @MyrtleLion for the stirling work.

This is going to be an interesting one. FAFO isn't a formal legal doctrine, but getting in someone's face trying to provoke a reaction, and then complaining about the reaction, is the kind of thing judges often take a dim view of.

There's more...

NW

J is still waiting whilst the parties discuss dates. I've just had a chat with counsel and it looks like I'll be lucky to get any documentation out of this process for mysterious legal reasons.

My point is that as a journalist I am not just a court reporter - I am reporting what is in court (evidence, submissions, examinations) but I think it's also important to look at this case in the context of how it came to court. That story is in the documents discussed...

... extensively in open court, which I can only request and am not entitled to. What I don't quite get when or if I get to make the case, or if my application is the case and I don't get a chance to answer questions or make representations.

And even if I did what objections or further considerations there might be.

NW

[Judge is back] Judgment will be delivered 25 November.

GL on bail till that date. Default position GL should return for verdict. If there are visa issues by that date he may appear remotely or the hearing may be adjourned till he can return

There was a side discussion about my application for the reports. Will write that up in a sec as we have to leave court. Trial has ended.

NW

In short the parties are going to decide if i can have the police reports and correspondence with the complainant and the complainant's friends that was referred to in court.... If I get that and i think there's something more I need, I can make a submission (before 25 Nov)

to see if the judge will allow me to have anything else. Anyway thanks for your support and retweets etc. Nothing like as dramatic today as it was on 4 & 5 Sep, but still some interesting stuff. I'll be there to report from court on the 25th.

I'll get a newsletter out tonight. If you want to subscribe - it's a just a one-off donation to get signed up. Here's the link. Thanks again and goodbye.

https://genderblog.net/donate/

Is there a summary of what happened today please?

I tried looking on X but while I really appreciate the efforts of the live tweeters, it's far too much to read.

From what I have seen, I'm just constantly amazed these vexatious cases don't get thrown out.

Nick Wallis is the best to read.
I think he's summarised onto his substack

Thank to all posting NW today. I am reading and following, but it's half term and not been able to comment.

Hello, A.I.

What do you mean by A.I

Linsay ain't happy!

I wonder if they (and any police pals they might have) are now hoping the broken umbrella case gets quietly dropped?

GL's counsel sounds v good. Wish I could have watched the closings. Would also like to hear the mysterious legal reasons NW may not get the docs he has requested. I want to know how this nonsense gets to court.

Damn, sorry wong thread!

What exactly does he want people to do? Complain about the case being reported on?

What Act and section has Linehan been charged under?

He’s been. Barged with criminal damage for the phone and the harassment, Google tells me, is s2 of the protection from Harassment Act 1997, alleged offence being Harassment without violence.

I’m not convinced the harassment threshold is met but I’m not a criminal lawyer!

Oh dear. Someone seems to have difficulty grasping the concept of a show trial.

#SadTimes

Blimey. What did Linds & go think was going to happen when they got a well known comedian arrested and charged over an event where there’s lots of evidence their own behaviour was pretty poor? It puts me in mind of Robbie Burns - “O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!”

Surely he thought this would be great publicity?