(PCN) A Christian preacher has been served a community order for harassing a transgender woman in Leeds city centre.
David McConnell, 41 years-old from Flockton, Wakefield was preaching, with a microphone in front of a small crowd in Briggate on 8th June 2021 when he made comments about “drunkards, adulterers and homosexuals”.
When one transgender woman tried to challenge McConnell, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said McConnell referred to her repeatedly as a “man in woman’s clothing”
After McConnell’s sentencing on Friday 2nd September 2022, Elizabeth Wright, from the CPS, said:
“People have the right to hold opinions and express their views. But when words cross the line between a legitimate expression of religious views and become distressing and threatening, the CPS will prosecute offenders if our legal test is met… His comments crossed the line between a legitimate expression of his religious views, to become a distressing and threatening personal attack”.
McConnell was sentenced to 80 hours of unpaid work following his trial at Leeds Magistrates Court.
He was found guilty of intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress and was sentenced to the 12-month community order and ordered to pay fines to the cost of £715.
Leeds City Council and…to continue reading, click here.
Editor’s Note. This article was written by Alex Colett and published at Premier Christian News
