The Metropolitan Police has agreed to pay £25,000 in compensation to Graham Linehan, the comedy writer behind Father Ted, following his detention at Heathrow Airport last September.
Scotland Yard issued an unreserved apology to the Irish-born creator, acknowledging failures in how officers handled the investigation, his arrest and the bail restrictions imposed upon him.
A senior Met officer stated in correspondence that whilst all personnel involved had acted with good intentions, the review uncovered deficiencies in multiple aspects of the case.
The force expressed regret for the distress and inconvenience Linehan experienced as a consequence.
Graham Linehan will receive £25,000 from the Met Police
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PASpeaking from Arizona, where he currently resides, Mr Linehan remarked that the settlement would prove helpful as he has been “on my uppers over the past few years for fighting against this madness.”
Mr Linehan was taken into custody by five armed officers upon landing from a flight from the United States, detained on suspicion of inciting violence over remarks he had published on X several months prior.
Among the posts that prompted the complaint from a transgender activist, one stated: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act.
“Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”
Graham Linehan was arrested at Heathrow Airport after making a series of gender-critical posts
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PAAnother featured an image apparently showing a trans rights demonstration, which he captioned “a photo you can smell,” followed by a comment expressing hatred for those he described as “misogynists and homophobes.”
During his detention, Mr Linehan’s blood pressure rose to dangerous levels, necessitating his transfer to hospital for treatment.
Following the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to drop the case, Mr Linehan spoke exclusively to GB News, describing the entire episode as “absurd” and accusing the force of acting as “errand boys for trans activists.”
He told The People’s Channel: “I would be more relieved and excited about it had I not expected it to be dropped. It was so absurd, the whole thing was so absurd.”
Mr Linehan confirmed his intention to pursue legal action against the Met, citing the health emergency he suffered whilst in custody.
“The health scare that I had while I was there was something that, I think when they finally released me, I think they just were a bit nervous I’d die under their care,” he said.
He added that officers had frightened his wife during a visit to their home.
The Free Speech Union, which supported Mr Linehan’s legal challenge, welcomed the outcome but expressed frustration at the pattern of such cases.
Lord Young of Acton, the organisation’s general secretary, remarked: “I’m beginning to lose count of the number of cases we’ve fought in which the police have arrested someone for a tweet, decided to take no further action and then had to pay them substantial compensation for wrongful arrest.”
He urged officers to “police our streets, not our tweets.”
Mr Linehan explained that relocating to Arizona has allowed him to work without the constant threat of detention, having recently completed a sitcom and a film script.
“I have a bit of free space now because I know I won’t be arrested at any moment,” he told GB News. “America is very good for me at the moment.”