Thread by @nickwallis

I am at Westminster Magistrates court sitting directly across the courtroom from Graham Linehan who is sitting in the dock, about to stand trial for harassment and damaging a camera. That is @sharrond62 in the photo who has arrived to support @Glinner

... taking photos outside of the attendees
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

[a statement is handed round]
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 takes him to part of his statement where he says what he was videographing and photographing - uses the phrase dog-whistle merchandise]
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

... what a dog-whistle is
[SB has a pretty good stab at it. J now happy]
[we break for lunch - reconvene at 2.05pm]

[Back in court waiting for the judge]
[SB is in the witness box waiting to continue being cross-examined by SV]

So SV is Sarah Vine KC for the Defence who is @Glinner - Graham Linehan - or L as I am calling him today.
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...

And I think SV said she will use sex-based pronouns, though I may have misheard a "Ms Brooks" at one point

i am using "SB" or sex-based pronouns, unless I am quoting someone calling SB she. The judge at the beginning of the trial said there would be no policing of language.

And PLEASE NOTE - everything I write is a summary or a characterisation of what is happening and/or being said. NOTHING IS A DIRECT QUOTE unless it is in "direct quotes".

Judge is in court.

[SV is on her feet xe-ing SB]
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...

... movement.
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 represent
[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"]

SV what info did you want to supply
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...

... lulling them into the idea of being a GC support
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

SV information they don't want known
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

SV not saying you're not - just wondering what you thought they were conspiring to do
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

SV want to move away from this to ask about your awareness of the tweets you are complaining about. Did you see something from L before the battle of ideas
SB no - I was asked to attend by Freda Wallace (FW)
SV so you saw nothing before 11 Oct
SB believe so, yes

SV and you didn't follow L on X
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

SB not very often
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

SV said you don't have contact often - you'd remember it
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...

... complaints.
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

SV Lynsay Watson is a TRA
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?

SV are you certain you had no contact with LW before you contacted 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...

... about a complaint about stalking
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...

... remember.
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 so we'll see that alarm and distress in the video you shot
[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.]

[Here we go. It is dark outside. SB shoots alongside L - L calls him a scumbag and incel, SB calls L an incel as he's divorced. He looks v pleased with himself]
SV you are pleased with yourself there aren't you
SB yes
SV you're enjoying yourself
SB no
SV you weren't alarmed

... or distressed
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

SB I don't remember
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

SB I don't remember
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

[SV reads out another tweet in which one of SB's sock accounts accuses Thames Pilgrim of obsessing over 16yo girls (SB confirms he means SB)]

SV so Thames Pilgrim could see this
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]

SV whats your attitude towards male violence against women
SB in what context
SV in any context
SB it's not okay ever

SV Thames Pilgrim is an ally of GC feminists
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

... murdered women - to commemorate them
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 Jean wrote a post with a pic saying - they've thrown soup over Posy again - shameful
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...

... is about a lack of empathy. Were you showing empathy there?
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

SV you are concerned about being unemployable because of being called a "domestic terrorist" - yet you use accounts like this to dish out abuse
SB L has 500k followers that account had about 30 - quite a contrast I think

SV how did you get hold of L's phone number and address when you gave it to the police?
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

SB I was supplied it by an anonymous account which has since been deleted
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.

SV have you ever enjoyed or endorsed someone doxxing a political opponent of yours
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...

... San Francisco in the 60s, so I thought it was funny a hate group was getting the same treatment.
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

SB yes!
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

SV did you use that tactic a lot?
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

... normal
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 takes him to a photo in the bundle - a photo of him and link to an audio recording of SB]
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]

SV have you watched that
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 takes him to the Freda Wallace chat transcript - she starts playing the chat - SB asks to read the transcript first. SV agrees]
SV plays chat
SB "I just want to say one thing to all the TERFS who are going to listen to this...

... recording because they're too scared to listen to it live."
SV what's a TERF
[explains term, but says they're not feminists - "they're bigots"]

[SV presses play on the tape. We hear SB saying:
"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

... who are you referring to.
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

SV so when you say TERFs you mean the TERF
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

SB was goaded into saying this by the person talking to me
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

SV in that FW tape were you trying to intimidate TERFS
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

SB nobody because no one is listening to the recording
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

... be but I can see how it might.
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...

... she returned and blocked me again.
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.

SV how many photos did you need of 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...

... say that you're going to keep doing it - disrupting the conference
SB KH was disrupting the conference by approaching me

[there is noise in the public gallery - judge admonishes them - no comments no laughter - 3 x phones have gone off already today - judge is getting hacked off]

[the video continues as we see SB being ejected from the confy - he is pointing his camera at people as they film him. he leaves peacefully]

[In think we're about to see another video of the same incident - Kate Harris and Venice Allan identified. KH is tring to block SB's filming of SB - Venice is just standing with her arms folded. SB starts filming her. Venice is unmoved and SB starts filming others who are...

... filming him.]
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]

[we're back]
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

[we see a video of SB is chatting with Freda and Robbie Travers - about getting kicked out. It appears to be surreptitiously recorded by Freda or Robbie - SB is telling FW and RT he kicked out and wasn't taking photos and FW (I think) says maybe they thought we were going...

... to do something like LGBA and SB says yeah - then the subject of L comes up and SB notices he's being recorded and the recording stops.]
SV you said you weren't taking photos
SB [says something about KH]

[New subject]

SV you know Maria McLachlin was assaulted
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

SV have you seen the video of it
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]

[MM says she's angry.]
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

SV points out SB's phone has a cover on in MM's video
[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

... Mr Linehan had caused.
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

SV show us where the housing has come away
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

SB partly
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

SV you went to harass people at the BoI conference
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

SV so it's a matter of who started it
SB not necessarily!

SV you had wished violence on one of those people you called bigots..
SB.. who was NOT attending that conference.

[SV takes us to a transcript of a confrontation with MM]
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

SV if you look at her hand - you'll see its not a fist she's holding something
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

... rude about me online.
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

SB yes if he was a sane and normal person
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

SB maybe to shame him into 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

SB I didn't follow him I approached him
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

SV did the language not suggest it
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

SB I asked who they were - they said they were just a volunteer. I was satisfied with that response and stopped.
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

SV you spent your afternoon harassing women
SB no
SV and Mr Linehan
SB no
SV and you used your phone for the purposes of that
SB no

SV whatever damage done to your phone was not the result of what L did
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

SV the temperature in this debate is high
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

SV so when the police discontinued legal action you threatened them because you wanted his scalp
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

JFW (Prosecuting - P) re-examining SB
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

P you were asked if you photographed anyone famous
[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 goes back to the "fucking weirdo nonce" message - screenshots from Thames Pilgrim - Guy Robinson]
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...

... police and I was arrested. After that there was NFA after it had became clear he'd lied about an ambulance attending his house sending pizzas to his house. [exact quote "there were no malicious pizza orders"]

P asks about the MM confrontation and gets SB to explain that his claim of MM lying about her assault was because he believed she had also lied about his assault. SB calls it all part of a tit for tat exchange which never ends.

[there has been a police witness sitting in court all day. poor bloke. wonder what he's thinking]

[J asks about the "you will pay I will never lose" conversation]
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

SV so when you said about the TERFs being too scared - why say it
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]

[J Suggesting case might be part-head as it might not finish tomorrow]

[J asks GL to stand up and tells him he needs to abide by his bail and turn up tomorrow ("which I'm sure you will") or he might be arrested - and if he doesn't turn up the trial might well continue without him]
[The third day of this trial - if they don't finish on time...

... tomorrow looks like it won't be for another five weeks]

[Everyone leaves]

@threadreaderapp unroll pls