Street preaching again

In R v Hazel Lewis [2021] Highbury Corner Mags Ct (unreported), Ms Lewis was arrested while preaching outside Finsbury Park tube station on 12 February 2020 and taken to Charing Cross Police Station. It had been alleged that she had made a child cry and had behaved in a threatening manner when she said in response to one man’s provocation: “you are an advocate of Satan and I rebuke you in Jesus’ name”.  She had also said that her detractors should be more concerned about recent cases of knife crime in the neighbourhood than her message. She was charged with a breach of s.5 (Harassment, alarm or distress) Public Order Act 1986. Crucially, however, she had made an audio recording of her preaching. Continue reading →