Father Ted Co-creator Graham Linehan has appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, charged with harassment and criminal damage following an incident involving a transgender woman last year.
Mr Linehan arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court this morning, greeted by both supporters and critics.
He did not speak on his way in but stood for photos.
The 57-year-old is charged with harassing a transgender woman named Sophia Brooks between 11 October and 27 October last year.
Ms Brooks, now 18, was 17 at the time of the alleged offences.
Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker said Mr Linehan posted about the activist "relentlessly".
She said: "These posts were not merely irritating or annoying, but rather oppressive and unacceptable, thereby crossing the threshold into harassment.
"These posts were not provoked by Ms Brooks online in respect of anything she had done to Graham Linehan."
Ms Faure Walker added that the posts were "verbally abusive and vindictive and reflected Mr Linehan's deep disliking of Ms Brooks".
The court heard that he allegedly described Sophia Brooks as a "sociopath", "groomer", and "domestic terrorist".
Ms Brooks told the court that she was "alarmed and distressed" by the comments.
Mr Linehan is also accused of damaging Sophia Brook's phone to the value of £369 at a Battle of Ideas conference in London on 19 October, by ripping it out of Ms Brook's hand and throwing it across the road.
This was after Ms Brooks was filming Mr Linehan.
The court was shown a series of videos, including one allegedly showing the moment the phone was taken.
However, it was put to Sophia Brooks, by the defence, that she had deliberately attended the conference to "annoy and irritate and harass" people there.
She was also asked about previous social media posts that she had sent, including one where she expressed a wish that acid be thrown on a gender critical activist.
Before proceedings got underway, the judge explained that the prosecution would address the complainant according to their "affirmed gender name", while stating that the defendant's position was that the "complainant is male".
"No party seeks to police the other's use of language. Neither party wishes the use of language to disrupt proceedings", district judge Briony Clarke told the court.
The trial, which has not yet heard from Graham Linehan, will continue tomorrow.
Today's court appearance is not connected to Mr Linehan's arrest at Heathrow Airport earlier this week on suspicion of inciting violence.
He was subsequently bailed following that arrest, pending further investigation.
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