A Christian street preacher had his conviction for using ‘threatening and discriminatory language’ while preaching in Lincoln overturned on 7 December.
Daniel Courney, aged 33, had appealed against a decision by Lincoln Magistrates after the CPS pressed charges over complaints by Muslims in the area. A woman and her family claimed that the preacher singled her out and reported to the police that Mr Courney called her ‘ISIS’ and told her to ‘go back to your country’. He denied this, and the Crown Court agreed, quashing the sentence imposed by the Magistrates.
Proclaiming Christ
Daniel, an American missionary who served in the United States military, had been a missionary in Nepal and India for eight years.
Mr Courney had been arrested by police under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, and was charged with using threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress.
Following the decision, Daniel said: ‘At all times I simply wanted to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately I’ve had to travel to and from the United Kingdom four times in the last three months. I have had other restrictions on my liberty during that time. I have been held in police custody and accused of being a hate preacher.’
