British comedian Eddie Izzard defended himself against a man who shouted homophobic abuse at him as a stand against "thousands of years of transgender people being aggressively attacked", a court in London heard today.
Jamie Penny threatened to "do" the 54-year-old's house after an altercation in Pimlico, central London.
A month later 24-year-old Penny shouted further abuse at Izzard after seeing him in a street nearby.
Penny, who is autistic, was found guilty of two counts of using threatening and abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress. He also admitted damaging a police cell after he was arrested.
Giving evidence at his trial, Izzard said he had stood up to him and swore back because he had faced years of abuse for being a transgender man.
He told Hammersmith Magistrates Court: "It is something I do as a transgender man. Over years people have said very nasty things to me.
"I prefer to stand my ground. I do stand up for my rights and other people's rights."
The court heard that on April 3 Izzard had been moving bags by his car, a 1958 Volkswagen Beetle, outside his Pimlico home when he heard an altercation at a nearby pub, before two men approached him.
Izzard told the court one suddenly leaned close to his face and told him: "You should give me a ride in your car."
The man was aggressive so Mr Izzard said he told him he would "never have a ride in my car", before a second man, Penny, told him: "Izzard, we are going to do your house when you are away."
The comedian told the court: "It was totally aggressive. It had gone up into a verbal attack. He was walking away but shouting aggressively at me."
He told the court the incident had made him feel "very edgy", and that he shouted back at him, telling him he was a "f****** idiot" and to "f*** off".
Izzard said: "I just thought this guy was threatening to steal stuff or break into my house and steal the contents.
"It was belligerently shouting, in an aggressive shout, across the street.
"I was thrown because it had escalated. For hundreds of thousands of years transgender people have been aggressively attacked.
"I just thought, it is not going to happen - I am going to attack back with words."
Magistrates said Penny, who the court heard has previous convictions for assault and possession of cannabis, would be given a restraining order and have to pay costs and compensation.
He was also ordered not to contact Izzard.
Penny was bailed until November 30 when he will be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court.
