A Christian preacher in the United Kingdom, accused of making anti-Muslim remarks during a sermon in a town center, has been found not guilty. A jury at Swindon Crown Court in southwest England returned the verdict after a six-day trial.
Shaun O’Sullivan, 36, was charged with religiously aggravated intentional harassment after allegedly shouting “We love the Jews,” “Jew haters” and “Palestine lovers” at a group of Muslims in Swindon on Sept. 15, 2024, according to the U.K.-based group Christian Concern.
The family involved said they felt targeted because they were wearing hijabs.
The incident was initially recorded as a hate crime following a 999 call from one of the complainants, who told the call handler, “We just felt very unsafe … calling us Jew haters, Palestine lovers,” the group claimed, according to a statement provided to The Christian Post.
The operator then responded, “No, I’ll put a hate claim on,” without any corroborating evidence.
O’Sullivan, who was represented by lawyers from Christian Legal Centre, Christian Concern’s legal arm, denied the claims.
The prosecution’s case depended largely on witness accounts from the Muslim family. There was no audio or video evidence of the alleged remarks, and closed-circuit footage only showed a brief interaction between the preacher and the family, which was mostly obscured by nearby sculptures.
Witness testimonies contained inconsistencies, with conflicting details about whether a microphone was used and discrepancies in descriptions of O’Sullivan’s clothing.
Under cross-examination by defense lawyer Michael Phillips, the complainant admitted she had not heard the entire message and acknowledged that her account was influenced by her opinions on the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
She also said she was upset that O’Sullivan had “spoken directly to us.”
The trial took place amid heightened tensions over the Israel-Gaza war, close to the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Swindon had seen frequent pro-Palestinian marches in recent weeks.
The defense argued that O’Sullivan’s preaching was a general religious and political message protected under the European Convention on Human Rights, which covers freedoms of speech, religion and assembly under Articles 9, 10 and 11. O’Sullivan’s remarks were presented in court as expressions of belief, not targeted abuse.
O’Sullivan’s personal history also emerged during the proceedings. Once involved in violent crime, he experienced a religious conversion that led him to Christianity. He has since dedicated himself to public preaching, often speaking in town centers and streets.
The jury also heard expert testimony from Martin Parsons, a theologian who provided a report describing street preaching as a historic and constitutionally protected practice in the U.K. He warned that prosecuting such speech could erode religious liberty and said the comments attributed to O’Sullivan could be seen as religious rather than hostile in nature.
In his report, Parsons pointed to content in Islamic scripture that he said could be interpreted as antisemitic, including references in the Quran and historical incidents from the life of Muhammad.
Following the verdict, O’Sullivan said, “I was once lost, but Christ changed everything. My heart is to share the Good News and love all people. I never intended harm. This case shows how vital it is to protect freedom of speech and Christian freedom.”
The trial, held at taxpayer expense, was estimated to cost £20,000 ($26,000).
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said the case was based solely on perception and lacked substantive evidence.
“Shaun’s case highlights the dangers of policing ‘hate incidents’ based on perception alone. We must ensure that robust public debate, especially on matters of Christian faith, is not silenced.”
Williams said the decision to file a hate crime report based only on a single call exemplified overreach by police and contributed to a “chilling effect” on public speech. She said that O’Sullivan and other preachers must be able to speak publicly without fear of prosecution.
The case follows a similar legal dispute involving O’Sullivan in 2023.
He and fellow preacher John Dunn were arrested in Glastonbury for preaching against homosexuality and transgenderism, drawing charges of harassment and antisocial behavior.
That case was dismissed when the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew, citing insufficient evidence.
O’Sullivan and Dunn had been accused of violating Section 35 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 while preaching outside a shop promoting LGBT products. Their defense cited the same human rights protections, and the judge ordered the state to cover their legal costs.
Following that decision, O’Sullivan criticized what he described as a double standard in law enforcement.
The pair had also claimed police behavior during the arrest, including rainbow-colored lanyards, showed bias against their message.
