Irish comedy writer and anti-trans activist Graham Linehan, 56, has pleaded not guilty to harassing a transgender woman on social media and damaging her phone. The Father Ted co-creator appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court today over Sophia Brooks' claims that he harassed her online and damaged her phone to the value of £369 in October. The alleged damage took place at the Battle of Ideas conference held in London on October 19. 

Brooks also had Lineham charged with harassment for posting what she deemed abusive comments about her on social media between October 11 and 27. Linehan has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

A Crown Prosecution spokesperson previously confirmed that the case would go to trial, saying: "Graham Linehan is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court for a first hearing to face charges of harassment without violence and criminal damage on 12 May."

The BAFTA award winner has been vocal about his criticism of the trans rights movement. Before his trial, Linehan told the Mirror: "This is part of a long history of the police acting as a goon squad for trans rights activists."

He also said he was looking forward to "exposing" Sophia Brooks in court. He publicly celebrated the recent Supreme Court ruling in the UK where trans women were deemed not to be women in relation to the 2010 Equality Act. This could mean they will not be allowed to access single-sex spaces such as designated public toilets. 

After the ruling was made, Linehan told the Daily Mail: "I was in the courtroom. The judge said we had to respect the court and not have any reaction. When we heard it, you could feel the crackle go around the room. 

"The moment the judge left, it just sunk in that we won after 10 years of fighting this nonsense. It's good news but this is only one issue in a lot of woke issues. The big problem we have is with TV commissioners. The artists are still out there but they have to get past these people who don't really care about art. They care about imposing their beliefs on people.

"But I don't think we will forever be able to stop funny people being funny. People will get sick of it. There's going to be a fightback [against wokeness]. Young people are sick of the rules. I think it will naturally fade away and we will come back to freedom of speech."

Linehan believes that trans women should be excluded from female spaces, and has claimed that his career and marriage were destroyed over his views on gender. The IT crowd and Black Books creator also said that people in the Western world are living in a "permanent state of blackmail" as he feels anyone who expresses anti-trans sentiments receive "abuse".