I am at Westminster Magistrates court sitting directly across the...

C = complainant AND/OR SB - Sophia Brooks (depending on how referred to in court)
D= Defendant AND/OR L = Linehan
SV = Sarah Vine KC for L
JFW = Julia Faure Walker for SB
thetimes.com/uk/law/article…
Whilst we're waiting... judiciary.uk/in-conversatio…
P when L called the people in the photo "men" he must have been referring to SB
P - L said he - again referring to SB in the masc - is a "deeply disturbed sociopath"
P "Tarquin" is L's derogatory term for C
Later SB called out L's name and asked why he'd called her a "domestic terrorist" At this point L could have explained why or ignored her, rather he responded in a way which is indicative of his extreme personal animosity...
SB said "why do you think it's acceptable to call teenagers domestic terrorists" - she was holding him to account. L "was angry and whacked the phone out of SB's hand." L was...
L's posts continued...
P also on 19 Oct - yet another abusive post about SB and someone SB was with. Said "couldn't hack it as a gay man, now...
P he must have meant SB - so he knew she was 17yo
P later he says "watch how Buffalo Bill uses a camera to hide his face"
P responded to another photo tweet saying "here he is defending Fred Wallace's pscyho mate...
P in another tweet L refers to SB as "Fred Wallace' sociopath friend"
P on 22 Oct he said of SB "he likes to handle people and then complain about being touched himself"
P L said "why are you calling a man...
P then L refers to "Fred's severely disturbed mate"
J where is this
P gives ref
P re Tarquin - L said in answer to a q "oh no... we named him that"
P C was not harassing women, she was filming at the conference and there is no evidence she had...
P - L also called SB "a scumbag who harasses women" and "if you encounter Tarquin in the wild try to resist the urge to stick his cameras up his arse"
P SB felt alarm/distress.
P for an offence of harassment (h) - it has to have happened more than once, it has to be conduct which is oppressive and unacceptable. L takes issue that...
P - it is expected L will raise a defence that his actions were about trying to stop or raise awareness of a crime and that it was reasonable.
P - J I have set out some authorities in the opening note, but I can leave them til the end of the case.
P I call the first witness - SB
[someone goes to get SB who is sitting o/s court]
P- when did you start using that name?
SB - about 2022 [I think]
P - want to ask you about Oct 2024 in QEII centre in London - were you aware of an LBG Alliance event taking place that day
SB I was yes
SB - disagree, broadly speaking
P - can you briefly explain what your and what LGB's stance is an were you disagree
SB - I believe the LGB alliance opposes my rights as a TG person
P - in particular?
P - did you go to Westminster on 11 Oct 2024
SB - yes
P - what time did you get to QEII vicinity
SB - I would have to check my witness statement (WS)
P - it's to your right - look at the middle of the first page - it says you arrived around...
SB 1700
P so 5pm
SB yes
P did you go inside.
SB no
P as of that moment had you heard of L
SB yes
P aware he was on twitter or X
SB yes
P any comms with L on any soc med platform
SB no
P any comms at any point at all ever
SB don't believe so
SB - I don't believe so
P - as we will see from soc med posts there were reports of insects being released into the venue
SB no I had no prior knowledge of this
P have you seen police compilation of tweets by L
SB yes
[P takes him to them]
SB yes
P how did you become aware of them
SB sent to me by someone I don't remember, but that's how I found out
P when was that
SB roughly around 11 Oct
P do you see there is an image of the QEII centre with a person waving a flag outside it
SB yes
P is that person you?
SB yes
P on 11 Oct
SB I think it was an alter image
J a what
SB an alternate [?] image
P taken on another occasion
SB yes
SB yes
P did you have anything to do with that
SB no
P look at the left of that post - is that an image of you
SB yes
P who posted it
P where did that image come from
SB to the best of my knowledge Feb 2023
P how many followers has Glinner
SB about 500k
P we see what L says "wasn't Fred Wallace present - wasn't this guy with him"
SB yes
SB Freda Wallace and me
P do you know FW
SB an acqaintance
P see the tweet views
SB yes
P what do you understand that to mean
SB around 10k people have viewed it
SB met her twice
P where
SB battle of ideas fest and one other occasion
P so who were the two homophobes referring to
SB me
P are you homophobic?
SB er no I'm a bisexual person
P not going to read it all out - but it says listen met police, but bringing these three men in could save a lot of time for your officers - they've been harassing a lot of people
[P skips a bit]
P - L says you have tried to infiltrate...
P have you done that
SB yes
P - L says will the met police take action on this "domestic terrorism" - some silly children "doing the bidding of very dangerous men"
P who is domestic terrorist here
SB me
P who are the v dangerous men
SB three unknowns
SB yes
P - see post from L saysing "here is a recording of the man behind countless episodes of harassment... he is a deeply disturbed sociopath"
SB yes
P posted alongside an image of you
SB
P who did you understand the deeply disturbed sociopath to be
SB me
P how did you feel about that
SB alarmed and distressed
P expand
SB I was being called a DDS by a famous person with a lot of followers any of whom could have caused great harm to me
SB yes
P who is SGHSS?
SB me
P have you ever gone by the name of Tarquin
SB no
P is it your birth name
SB no
P how did you get it
SB it is apparently to do...
[said v poshly]
P who have you this name
SB Graham Linehan
P did you go to the battle of ideas
SB yes I bought a ticket
P who did you go with
SB freda wallace
P did you encounter Kate harris there?
SB yes
P who is she
P who were hosting the confy
SB yes
P was there an encounter
SB yes she stormed up to me in an aggressive manner
P what were you doing
SB taking pictures of the panellists from some distance away
SB sitting first then standing to get a better angle
P what happened
SB KH stormed up to me with a brochure for her event attempting to block my camera
P was anyone filming you
SB 5 or 6 people afterwards
P after?
SB she stormed up to me twice - one was...
P had you encountered L
SB he was not present... I don't believe he was present
P so after the encounter with KH - who filmed first
SB I had a DSLR I was taking photos with - after KH stormed up to me people were filming me
P were you escorted out by security
SB yes
SB no
P what time were you escorted out
SB about 3.15
P so you are now outside the venue
SB yes
P this was at Church House in Gt College St in Westminster
SB yes
P what happened next
P had you done anything towards him
SB no
P then what
SB he walked into the conference
P what else did he say if at all
P please do
SB "he called me an incel and stormed off"
P so that we can understand - what do you understand incel to mean
SB an involuntary celibate
P what gender
SB male
P what is an incel
P so where did L go
SB he went into the battle of ideas, sorry stormed into the battle of ideas
P was Freda Wallace with you
P so did you remain in the idea [sic] and take photos of the grounds and buildings
SB I took photos of the attendees none of which were L
P then you walked to Tufton
SB yes
P fast forward a few hours - were you photographing and videoing people leaving the conference
SB yes
P L?
SB yes
P what happened
SB I asked him why he thought it was acceptable to call teenagers domestic terrorists online
P how did...
SB I believe he called me a groomer and told me to go away
P how did you feel about that
SB distressed as I am not a groomer
P what is a groomer
SB someone who takes advantage of someone's naivity sometimes sexually
P did you ask him why he called you a greoomer
P what did he say
SB he called me a groomer again and a sissy-porn watching scumbag
P what's sissy-porn
SB where feminised men cross dress
SB no
P what did you say
SB you're the incel - you're divorced
P did you engage in any discussion about your ideological differences
SB no he just shouted abuse again
SB angry
P did you pose any physical threat to him
SB he grabbed my hand and forcefully ripped my phone out of it, then he took my phone behind my back and refused to give it to me
P what next
SB I demanded I get my phone back and after realising I wouldn't...
[P wants to play some video, bringing some technical jeopardy into proceedings. Amazing how regularly av f***s up in the courts. It shouldn't be that difficult nowadays]
[SB says "Graham Graham do you mind explaining why you called me a domestic terrorist" L says "Go away groomer - go away you disgusting incel"]
[Cut to another video take by SB - he approaches L and says...
SB by L throwing it into the road
P takes him to a repair estimate from Apple - what's the estimated amount?
SB £369
P so that's the repair cost
SB yes
SB I don't know what she looks like, sorry.
P takes him to the "couldn't hack it as a gay man" tweet. Does that image show you and Freda Wallace?
SB yes
P so who is the gay man
SB Freda
P who is the 17yo sociopath to be
SB me
SB what's a sock
P disposable twitter acc
SB how did you feel about being described as a sociopath
P alarmed and distressed
[audible giggles from the public gallery]
P how did you feel about that
SB alarmed and distressed
[P takes SB to L's tweet about SB handling people]
P had you handled anyone that day
SB no
P who was that referring to
SB me
P see that person?
SB yes that's me
P - L says "he's Fred's severely disturbed mate" - who is that refering to
SB me
P what does it mean
SB that Mr L and @PosyParker have named me Tarquin
P are you a porn-addict
SB no
P have you ever given than impression?
SB no
SB alarmed and distressed
P was that what you were trying to do
SB no
P what were you trying to do
SB Freda Wallace runs a...
[P takes him to tweet (not by L) of redacted image of SB's driving licence]
SB provisional driving licence
P were you using Sophia on your DL at that stage
SB yes
SB worried for my own safety
P why
SB a person who was famous and is famous was posting pictures of me and calling me a sociopath
SV we have heard you were alarmed and distressed many times
SB yes
SV on each occasion
SB yes
SV were you alarmed and distressed by L referring to you in the masculine
SB rude not a&d
SV just rude
Sb yes
SB what specifically
SV what does that mean for you
SB mostly just videography
SV for what purposes
SB for others who want to make a blog post or something
SV how does that work - what do you record
SB protests and demos
SB I consider it a demo
SV it was a conference
SB can I share my idea
SV sure
SB all the people speaking have the same ideas - it's not a debate - it's a demo - just indoors
SV was it a hate fest
SB not necessarily
SV you called it that
SB it had people with bigoted views in it
SV you were thrown out of the battle of ideas
SB no I was escorted out
SV sorry - you didn't leave voluntarily, but you cooperated when you were asked to leave
SB yes
SV afterwards you spent time...
SB and the buildings
SV why the attendees
SB there may have potentially been someone famous
SV did you make a statement with a view to starting civil proceedings against L
SB yes after I made a statement to the police
SV is this your civil statement
SB yes
SV dated 14 Nov
SB yes
SV anything else that day
SB ?
SV remember being told by police the criminal matter was being dropped
SB no
SV asks him to explain dog whistle
SB well TWAM means Trans Women Are Men and only people in the know knows what TWAM
J asks him to explain
[SB has a pretty good stab at it. J now happy]
[we break for lunch - reconvene at 2.05pm]
[SB is in the witness box waiting to continue being cross-examined by SV]
SB is Sophia Brooks, who is the complainant in this case. SB is male, but identifies as a woman. His counsel is using she/her pronouns. SV has said L will use he/him...
Judge is in court.
SV So Ms Brooks you were telling us about dog-whistles and you were giving some egs of dws
SB yes
[SV takes him to an image of SB wearing a green white and violet scarf]
SV is that a dog-whistle
SB no
SV no it's associated with the suffragette...
SV and has been adopted by GC feminists
SB maybe
SV this flag is used by Let Women Speak
SB no it's a suffragette flag
SV where there any suffragettes there campaigning for the right to vote
SB no
SV so can you please stop pretending you don't know what the colours
[SV takes him to a photo of him wearing an purple white and green scarf - SB eventually accepts he wanted to be among a GC women to supply information to internet bloggers without being "attacked"]
SB details of further meetings
SV why
SB I wanted details of their meet ups to supply to thers - Freda Wallace and Alan Driscoll
SV because they like GC meetings
SB no, they report on them
SV so it wasn't done for the purposes of...
SB no - why would I
SV so they give info to you they wouldn't give to a TRA
SB accepts
SV most people at these events are women
SB yes
SV so you're putting women at ease so you can learn their plans in advance
SB potentially
SB potentially
SV so their protests could be disrupted
SVt disrupts a protest
SV there are different types of protest
SV you took photos of these people
SB they were consipiring - I'm allowed to take photos in a public place
SB to influence people
SV so perfectly innocent perspectives
SB yes
SV why did you want images of these women
SB to share with internet bloggers
SV so they knew who to target
SB no
SB no - I was asked to attend by Freda Wallace (FW)
SV so you saw nothing before 11 Oct
SB believe so, yes
SB no
SV did you follow Seen Police UK
SB yes
SV cos you were a volunteer police cadet at the time
SB yes
SV and SEEN is run by Lynsay Watson
SB yes
SB and he's been in touch with you
SV that's a yes
SB yes
SV did he alert you to L's tweets?
SB no
SV did the SEEN account alert you to L's tweets
SB no
SV did you have any contact with Lynsay after 11 Oct last year
SB can't remember
SB it's not a v memorable thing
[SV raises a tweet from the SEEN account drawing attention to L's tweets]
SV the police told you they were not going to pursue a complaint against L
SB don't remember - there were lots of...
SV you don't remember writing to the police demanding the charges are reinstated with reasons why or you will threaten Judicial Review
SB I don't remember it was 11 months ago
SV we have documentation showing you did
SB okay
SV so you did
SB yes
SB can't speak for him
SV Lynsay Watson said you could end up like Brianna Ghey - would that not concern you
SB yes
SV what would you do about it
SB nothing I can do about it
SV how about contacting the police?
SB I can't remember it was 11 months ago
SV do you remember contacting the police's victim focus desk to complain about L chucking the phone
SB yes
SV and you told them you were collating evidence...
SB yes
SV and you were not in contact with LW
SB I have told you multiple times I don't remember. It's impossible to get water out of a stone
SV how frightened were you about the risks and harms coming to you from L's tweets?
SB I don't...
SV did you know if L was going to be a speaker at the Battle of Ideas?
SB no
SV and you say you were alarmed and distressed by his behaviour
SB yes
[SV asks to see the second video shown earlier today which SB shot at the Battle of Ideas in selfie mode. Of course there are tech problems.]
SV you are pleased with yourself there aren't you
SB yes
SV you're enjoying yourself
SB no
SV you weren't alarmed
SB I was
SV why were you concerned about being called a "domestic terrorist"
SB someone a vigilante might beat me up or stab me in the street.
SV what does nonce mean
SB paeodphile
SV how many X accounts did you have in Oct last year
SV a number
SB I really don't remember
[SV names one]
SB yes
[SV names two more]
SB yes
[Judge is amused by the X name "Beans Wit Pasties"]
SV you used your accounts to make allegations people were nonces, didn't you
SV let me help you
[SV gives him a printed photo of a tweet from one of his accounts Sophie [with trans hearts]]
SV there are screenshots which show you on 23 Nov you called someone a "fucking weirdo nonce"
SB confirms
SB yes - he was saying things about me it was part of an ongoing feud
SV I'm not asking you about that
J pls just answer the questions
[SV takes him to a Jill Womb Haulier tweet where she says she's quite scared]
SB in what context
SV in any context
SB it's not okay ever
SB we have a long-standing feud - he's reported me to the police
SV do you think TP is an ally of GC movement
SB he considers himself to be
SV do yo know Jean Hatched
SB I know the name
SV ever year she organises a bike ride for
SB didn't know that
SV you know about Posey Parker and her real name
SB Kelly Jay Kean
SV PP is a GC campaigner
SB yes
SV v high profile
SB not so much.... actually yes she is
SV and a reply saying it could have been acid
SV and you say
SB really wish it was though
SV really wish it was though
SB she's harassed me called me a sociopath
SV being a sociopath...
SB I have a lack of empathy for those who attack me
SV so violence against women is okay
SB that's not what I said
SV no you wrote you wished it was acid - is that okay
SB no
SV because you got caught out
SB no
SB L has 500k followers that account had about 30 - quite a contrast I think
SB the Telegraph took a photo of him outside his house and I worked out where it is from using publicly available pictures and google images
SV what did you do to get his mobile number
SV what did you say to the police when they asked you how you got this info
SB they didn't ask me
SV they did and their notes state you didn't want to tell them.
SB i don't remember
SV so it's possible
SB yes
SV what did you think of the release of crickets at the LGB Alliance event
SB quite funny - the Lesbian Avengers used to do similar stunts in...
SV what makes them a hate group
SB they say [missed this] spread disease
SV you think its hateful that some people believe women only toilets should only be available to women
SV that photo of you wearing a suffragette scarf - L identified the similarity between you and the teenagers who released the crickets at the LGBA conference - and that similarity was that you were wearing markers aligned to people with GC views.
SB yes
SB no - don't think so
SV are you associated with Trans Kids Deserve Better?
SB only started messaging through intermediaries recently
SV was one of those messages that you wanted as many people here at this trial as possible
SB that's perfectly
SV was one of those messages that you wanted as many people here at this trial as possible
SB yes
SV I want to talk to you about one of the events inside the Battle of Ideas [last year - where the confrontation between L and SB took place]
SV that audio recording is you
SB yes
SV did you listen to it
SB yes
[SV takes him to a video recording of a chat hosted by Freda Wallace which SB was on]
SB no
SV but you were there
SB yes
SV as part of your TRA, as well as your videography you research GC activists
SB yes, not many
SV in detail
SB I wouldn't say so
SV plays chat
SB "I just want to say one thing to all the TERFS who are going to listen to this...
SV what's a TERF
[explains term, but says they're not feminists - "they're bigots"]
"you will pay - I never lose... good luck... they'll know I am from my voice... I've been deceitful enough so they never will truly know who I am wink wink!"]
SV when you say we know who you are and you are cataloguing everything
SB KJK
SV and you think she would be too scared to listen to this
SB no
SV who else you use plurals
SB no one else - ambiguous
SB yes
[we go to another tape and hear SB talking about how he tracks and finds people and says something he used got patched]
SV what's this about
SV when you said I can't find out what ward she was in you meant where she was living
SB yes
SV how did you come by this facility that got patched
SB can't remember
SV just appeared did it
SB can't remember
SB no - no one was listening
SV you made that clear
SV what did you mean when you said "you will pay"
SB it's a joke - she says "I never lose" i was mocking that
SV who will pay
SV you said people would
SB it was a joke
SV what's the joke
SB I don't know how to explain it to you but it's a joke
SV what's funny about "you will pay"
SB context
SV see how it might be construed as a threat
SB shouldn't
SV so this was a joke with or at KJK
SB joke with the other participants of the chat
[SV takes him back to the LGBA conf where SB was taking photos with his DSLR]
SB I was taking pictures of the panellists - Kate Harris chose to block me then...
SV she's blocking you in this photo?
SB she's walking quite fast towards me with her arms stretched out
SV who are you photographing
SB I was photographing panellists, then she blocked me, then she came back and I photographed her.
SB one of her rushing up to block me
[we are seeing some video of SB taking photos and KH remonstrating with SB - SB tells someone to fuck off]
SV why did you say fuck off
SB the other woman was touching me
SV did you hear someone else...
SB KH was disrupting the conference by approaching me
SV why film Venice
SB she came up to me
SV and did what
SV did being filmed make you feel uncomfortable
SB can I go to the loo?
SV yes of course
SB I've drunk two bottles of water
J we'll have a ten minute break
[we have a ten minute break]
SV the talk you were in [at the BoI confy I think] was called something like will the gender wars ever end - remember that?
SB no i don't
SV and you spoke to someone whilst you were at the confy called Robbie Travers
SB with Freda - yeah
SV you said you weren't taking photos
SB [says something about KH]
[New subject]
SB yes
SV you said you thought she was lying
SB I did
SV Tara Wolf was convicted
SB yes
SV do you consider that male violence on women
SB no
SV because you think Tara Wolf is a woman
SB yes
SB yes - it's more of a jostle
[we go to a video where MM is interviewing SB - MM raises SB saying she had lied about her assault - SB says she did lie about her assault. SB goads MM through the interview, SB asks her why she's trembling]
SV were you enjoying this?
SB no - people can look like they're happy when they're not
SV are you one of those people
SB yes
SV why did you tell her to leave
SB well if she's trembling I suggested she leave
[missed what SB said in response]
SV goes to the Apple estimate for work which shows it was bought in 2020.
SB yes
SV you emailed the police in November and told them you were going to have your phone assessed for any damage
SB yes
SV Apple Genius called the damage an impact point and a dent
[SV takes him to his statement]
SV you describe a "deep dent" on the top left had side and on the bottom. - where's the deep dent - show us on the photos
SB they're poor quality
SB which part of the bundle
J tab 3
SV is there a photo
SB Yes!
SV which number
SB 2
SV show us
SB holds up phone
SV whereabouts - where has the housing come away
SV four year old phone
SB yes
SV pristine before that
SB yes - kept in a case with a screen protector
SV any photos
SB people don't usually take photos with their phones
SB no
SV you thought they were bigots
SB "they are bigots that doesn't stop me from not harassing them"
SV were people happy being filmed
SB if they were happy to film me they should be happy to be filmed back
SB not necessarily!
SV you had wished violence on one of those people you called bigots..
SB.. who was NOT attending that conference.
SV you ask why she's got her fist clenched and if she's going to punch you - did you think she was?
SB it was a genuine question
SB it's a poor photo
SV you were there
SB it was 11 months ago
SV at the end of your confrontation you say to MM -
"go lie about your assault more". Is that acceptable
SB yes - she was being
SV so what was your best case scenario from approaching GL about the "domestic terrorist" quote.
SB that he would apologise
SV after he called you a groomer
SB yes possibly
SV really
SV do you think he was a sane and normal person
SB he could be - he might see the error of his ways
SV why film him on the second occasion in selfie mode - why did you think that might elicit an apology
SV you know GL was trying to get info on you to pass on to the police
SB I don't think the way to do it is tagging the police on twitter
SV the third time you approached GL you followed him through a crowd of people
SV and you put your phone in his face
SB I did not put my phone in his face
SV what did you think he was going to do
SB I don't know maybe walk off
SV by the third time you approached him did you not think he was angry at you
SB no
SB he uses this language all the time - day in... it's typical of him.
SV and so not threatening
SB it's language other people might find threatening
SV did you film any other men else at close range
SB yes a volunteer
SV what happened
SV other than him and GL - the only other people you filmed were women
SB no I filmed two security guards
SV why
SB just a continuation of filming
SB no
SV and Mr Linehan
SB no
SV and you used your phone for the purposes of that
SB no
SB no - I changed phone case earlier that day and it was in pristine condition
SV so you checked
SB no I just saw it
SV and saw those little marks
SB L did the damage
SB depends who you are
SV someone who wishes acid to be thrown on a woman is quite high up the scale
SB couldn't really say
SV GL is a well-known GC campaigner
SB yes
SV so he would be a massive scalp for you
SV if you say so
SB no
SV Where did you get the phrase alarm and distress from
SB I felt alarm and distress
SV they are the terms in the Harassment Act
SB coincidence
P would you get kudos from getting GL convicted
SB I'd get a lot of abuse
P were you telling the truth when you said you were alarmed and distressed
SB yes
[sorry I missed this q - his answer was he couldn't remember and hadn't checked the photos since he took them]
[P mentions Andy Ngo]
P did you photo him
SB yes
P what was that in response to
SB Mr Robinson making reference to me as a "teenage sidekick"
P bad language either way perhaps
SB can I add to that - Mr R reported me to the...
J how did it get in the public domain
SB twitter now known as X had a thing called Spaces - so if you recorded it it immediately gets published
J did you know it would be made public
SB not at the time
SB in jest
SV but still why say it
SB I knew it would be made public, but only many months down the line
[SB's evidence ends - he is taken out]
[J now having case management discussion]
[The third day of this trial - if they don't finish on time...
[Everyone leaves]
