{"id":8443,"date":"2015-03-23T17:59:36","date_gmt":"2015-03-23T17:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/?p=8443"},"modified":"2025-07-10T09:10:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T08:10:34","slug":"street-preacher-convicted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/street-preacher-convicted\/","title":{"rendered":"Street preacher convicted – and now acquitted!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Michael<\/a>
Street preacher convicted. \u00a0Michael Overd with his wife Rachel outside Taunton Magistrates Court when he was acquitted in 2012.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

STOP PRESS:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael Overd\u2019s appeal was heard at Taunton Crown Court, Shire Hall, Taunton, Somerset TA1 4EU\u00a0on Friday 11th<\/sup> December 2015 at which he was acquitted when the prosecution’s case collapsed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

All you need to know is in our YouTube video ‘Street Preaching is Legal<\/a><\/strong>‘ !<\/p>\n

Original report from 23rd March 2015<\/span>:<\/p>\n

A street preacher has been convicted over ‘homophobic’ sermons, the BBC reports<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Michael Overd was preaching in Taunton, Somerset, in June and July 2014.<\/p>\n

He was cleared of a second similar charge and another of causing “racially-aggravated” harassment aimed at Muslims. During the case, Mr Overd told the\u00a0judge he must be born again.<\/p>\n

The charges were brought under the Public Order Act.<\/p>\n

We were pleased to support Michael Overd when he faced similar charges and was acquitted at Taunton Magistrates Court in 2012.<\/p>\n

Mr Overd, 50, was fined \u00a3200 and ordered to pay compensation of \u00a3250 and costs of \u00a3950 totalling \u00a31,400 at Bristol Crown Court.<\/p>\n

Sentencing, judge Shamim Qureshi told Mr Overd he “knew full well the power of words to hurt”. \u00a0We understand the Muslim judge came down from Birmingham to sit in the case, and it was when he referred to Christianity and Islam as joint Abrahamic faiths that Michael Overd urged him to repent and be born again.<\/p>\n

He was told to pay \u00a3250 to his ‘victim’, Darren Chalmers. \u00a0Mr Overd said the judgement was “flawed” and told the judge he would have to “answer to the same God”.<\/p>\n

After the failed case in 2012, the police began looking for complaints against the long-standing Taunton preacher again last year, appealing in a local newspaper for the public to record him making \u201coffensive remarks\u201d. \u00a0A number of witnesses said they could not remember what Mr Overd said, just that it was \u2018offensive\u2019.<\/p>\n

Support for the principle of street preaching came from the Bishop of Peterborough, Rt Rev Donald Allister, who said we should have freedom to express our\u00a0views, provided it were done in a Christian manner.<\/p>\n

A campaign by the Christian Institute to remove the word \u2018insulting\u2019 from the Public Order Act was meant to stop preachers being prosecuted, but the police have just switched to charging them with \u2018threatening and abusive\u2019 behaviour instead.<\/p>\n

\"ShamimQureshi\"<\/a>
Judge Qureshi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Intriguingly, the judge had reserved judgement, which indicates he wanted to take advice from those higher up.<\/p>\n

Judge Qureshi told the preacher he seemed to enjoy testing the laws on free speech to their limits. \u00a0He said: “In my view he enjoys coaxing people into asking him questions so that he can reply loudly into the microphone to answer them.<\/p>\n

Mr\u00a0Overd had “double standards”, the judge said, ‘believing he was right and everyone else was wrong’, according to the BBC, although that does not seem to indicate ‘double standards’, merely settled views. \u00a0The complainant, Darren Chalmers, appears to have contrary views to Mr Overd which are just as settled.<\/p>\n

“He happily shouts out the negative points in any other religion,” said the judge, without acknowledging that the negative points in Islam are not very hard to find.<\/p>\n

Asked after the case whether he would tone down his sermons, Mr Overd said: “I follow my Lord and leader, so I won’t tone down.”<\/p>\n

Mr Overd had faced two charges of using threatening and abusive words, and a third of causing racially or religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress. \u00a0Only one charge succeeded.<\/p>\n

We understand Michael Overd is being advised to appeal to the Crown Court.<\/p>\n

PRAY: Thank God for Michael Overd and pray the Lord will bless him and grant District Judge Qureshi in the case repentance and faith in Jesus Christ unto eternal life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Find out how to join Christian Voice and stand up for the King of kings (clicking on the link below does not commit you to join)<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Please note that persons wishing to comment on this story must enter a valid email address. Comments from persons leaving fictitious email addresses will be trashed.<\/p>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

STOP PRESS: Michael Overd\u2019s appeal was heard at Taunton Crown Court, Shire Hall, Taunton, Somerset TA1 4EU\u00a0on Friday 11th December 2015 at which he was acquitted when the prosecution’s case collapsed. All you need to know is in our YouTube video ‘Street Preaching is Legal‘ ! Original report from 23rd March 2015: A street preacher […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,11,86,184],"tags":[15,1456,1454,1455,1457],"class_list":["post-8443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-freedom","category-homosexuality-trans","category-secularism","category-uk-christian-constitution","tag-christian-voice","tag-darren-chalmers","tag-michael-overd","tag-shamim-qureshi","tag-taunton"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t