A Christian street preacher has today won his appeal against a public order conviction for using the 'wrong' Bible verse in public.
Sitting at Taunton Crown Court, Circuit Judge David Ticehurst upheld Michael Overd's appeal, after the Crown failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify the conviction.
Mr Overd was convicted of a public order offence in March, following a conversation with a man self-identifying as homosexual, who objected to Mr Overd's preaching.
Passing judgment in March, District Judge Shamim Ahmed Qureshi took the extraordinary step of ruling on which Bible verses it was appropriate for Mr Overd to use in his public explanation of the Bible's teaching on homosexual practice.
'Chilling effect'
'Chilling effect'
Mr Overd welcomed today's decision, but said that the case should never have come to trial in the first place:
"I give thanks to God for today's vindication. I have known God's peace and presence throughout this difficult time.
“Today the Court was faced with the farcical situation of a witness telling the judge that he couldn't even remember what I had said, but simply asserting that it was 'homophobic' – as though the mere assertion that something is 'homophobic' is enough to curtail free speech.
"In this country, we are now in the ludicrous situation where the slightest accusation of a 'phobia', be it 'homophobia' or 'Islamaphobia', is enough to paralyse rational action by the police and authorities. The highly politicised dogma of ‘phobias’ now too often results in trumped up charges and legal action. There is a chilling effect.
"In this country, we are now in the ludicrous situation where the slightest accusation of a 'phobia', be it 'homophobia' or 'Islamaphobia', is enough to paralyse rational action by the police and authorities. The highly politicised dogma of ‘phobias’ now too often results in trumped up charges and legal action. There is a chilling effect.
"Reasonable, law-abiding people now feel that they can't say certain things and that is dangerous. Totalitarian regimes develop when ordinary people feel that there are certain things that can't be said.
"Rather than prizing freedom of expression and protecting it, the police and the prosecutors risk undermining it, because they've become paranoid about anyone who might possibly feel offended.
"Rather than prizing freedom of expression and protecting it, the police and the prosecutors risk undermining it, because they've become paranoid about anyone who might possibly feel offended.
"My motivation in all my preaching is to share God's message of love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. To do that I have to talk about the reality of life, including our sinfulness."
Mr Overd, who regularly preaches on the streets of Taunton, is supported by the Christian Legal Centre and was represented in court by allied solicitor Michael Phillips.
The judge awarded costs in Mr Overd's favour. Christian Concern.
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