British jury acquits street preacher of hate speech against Muslim family

A Swindon, England, jury acquitted street preacher Shaun O’Sullivan of hate speech, the legal advocacy group Christian Concern said in a Tuesday written statement. He faced charges of religiously aggravated intentional harassment after a Muslim family accused him of saying “We love the Jews” and calling them “Jew haters” and “Palestine lovers” in September 2024.

The family called authorities, saying that they felt targeted because they were wearing hijabs and that his comments made them feel unsafe, according to Christian Concern. The call handler filed a hate crime claim without any further evidence, the organization said.

No one recorded audio or video of O’Sullivan’s alleged remarks, and CCTV showed the family walking past quickly with most of the encounter blocked from view. During the trial, the complainant admitted she hadn’t heard O’Sullivan’s full message and that her strong views on the war in Gaza shaped her memory of the event, according to Christian Concern.

What did O’Sullivan’s team say? His lawyer successfully argued that his remarks were part of a general theological and political message, not personal abuse. Christian Concern did not clarify whether he said the phrases the Muslim family mentioned. The six-day Crown Court trial cost taxpayers roughly $26,000, Christian Concern estimated.

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