Graham Linehan, the trans-obsessed and once successful British television writer and producer, admitted in court this week that, yes, he did grab the phone of an 18-year-old transgender teen and toss it across the street outside an event in London.He admitted in the same breath, As soon as I did it, I thought, That was a mistake. Related JK Rowlings ally told people to punch trans women. He just got arrested. Linehan, 57, is on trial at Westminster Magistrates Court in London, accused of harassing trans teen activist Sophia Brooks and damaging her mobile phone while both were on the street outside a Battle of Ideas conference in Westminster last October.Linehan was arrested in April on criminal damage and harassment charges and pleaded not guilty in May, the Independent reported.That arrest preceded another in September, when Linehan was taken into custody at Londons Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting anti-trans violence via social media. Among three messages Linehan posted to X earlier in the year was one encouraging people to punch trans women in the balls. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Jurors in Linehans trial in September heard testimony that trans activist Brooks confronted the Father Ted creator outside the event and asked him why he thinks it is acceptable to call teenagers domestic terrorists.In response, Linehan called her a groomer, a disgusting incel, and a sissy-porn-watching scumbag, Brooks testified.She said she responded by telling Linehan, Youre the incel. Youre divorced.Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker told the court, Linehan was clearly proud of what he had done because a few days [later] he tweeted: I am quite proud. I grabbed his phone and threw it across the road.'Linehan and his defense witnesses consistently referred to Brooks using male pronouns. Walker added about Linehan, Clearly, he was pleased from gaining a sense of superiority over someone on the other side of the ideological debate.The defense has tried to portray Brooks as provoking Linehan.Earlier in the evening in question, Brooks stood up in the audience during a panel discussion at the event and snapped pics and video.Katherine Harris, co-founder of the transphobic organization LGB Alliance UK and a witness for the defense, recounted seeing the trans activist stand up with her phone. It was a deliberate, intimidatory move on his part and he would not stop, Harris said of Brooks. He was photographing anybody and everybody he could, and it felt intrusive and aggressive.It felt as though he wanted to get everybody, to get all of us in his power through his camera, to say, Im the big man here, I can do what I want. That was the message. The disruption was complete, Harris added.A video played to the court appeared to show Linehan grabbing Brooks phone.Asked why he threw the phone and didnt just return it, Linehan said, My adrenaline was up, I was angry. I guess that feels like surrender, so I threw it away. I didnt slam it, I just skimmed it. It was instinctive. As soon as I did it, I thought that was a mistake.Linehan testified in September that his life was made hell by trans activists, calling Brooks a young soldier in the trans activist army. He was misogynistic, he was abusive, he was snide, Linehan said of the 18-year-old.The prosecution told jurors that Linehan posted relentlessly about Brooks following their confrontation.Linehan described his reaction towards Brooks this way: He depended on his anonymity to get close to people and hurt them, and I wanted to destroy that anonymity.While Linehans trial continues, hes off the hook for inciting anti-trans violence via social media.After a transatlantic uproar accusing authorities of violating Linehans freedom of speech the comedy writer claimed in a Substack diatribe that his punch em in the balls tweet was a joke the Metropolitan Police said earlier this month they wont pursue charges.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.