Sarah Jane Baker: Trans activist cleared of inciting violence

Sarah Jane Baker was taken to court from prison, where she was recalled after the events in question

A transgender activist who told a crowd to "punch a terf" has been cleared of intentionally encouraging the commission of an offence.

Sarah Jane Baker made the comment at a Trans+Pride rally in the capital, City of London Magistrates' Court heard.

Her remarks were captured on video during the march, from Trafalgar Square to Wellington Arch, on 8 July.

"Terf" is a word that is considered to be a slur, Kabir Sondhi, prosecuting, told the court.

It is an acronym that stands for "trans-exclusionary radical feminist".

In a recording played to the court that was captured at the rally, the 54-year-old can be heard speaking into a microphone and saying: "I was gonna come here and be really fluffy and be really nice and say be really lovely and queer and gay - nah, if you see a terf, punch them in the [expletive] face."

Baker was arrested on 12 July and later charged with intentionally encouraging the commission of the offence of assault by beating.

The court heard that during the arrest, which Baker live-streamed on to social media, she said "don't punch terfs, I'm really sorry I said that". The court was told she accepted she had said the words but denied any intent to incite violence.

'It wasn't my finest hour'

Giving evidence, Baker said she wished she could take the words back and that she had friends who were trans-exclusionary radical feminists.

She added: "I've never in my life used any physical violence against trans-exclusionary radical feminists. It wasn't my finest hour; I am quite annoying but I don't want people to be hurt because of something that I said."

Baker told the court: "The only people suffering more than us is migrants - thank God I'm not a transgender migrant."

She added: "We're living in dark times and this anti-trans rhetoric is being actively encouraged by our government."

'You wanted the publicity'

Asked by her lawyer Lucinda Nicholls what she thought might occur as a result of her words, Baker said she believed "nothing negative would happen".

Baker, from Richmond in south-west London, was also asked why she wished she had not made the comments and said it was because she was now in a men's prison with sex offenders.

She added: "I'm with people who want to kill me, or rape me, or kill me and rape me."

Baker is the subject of a life sentence for the attempted murder of a fellow inmate she attacked when in prison serving a sentence for kidnapping and torturing her stepmother's 19-year-old brother. Baker was recalled to prison following the events at the rally.

When Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram found Baker not guilty, the public gallery applauded.

He said he was not sure that when she said the words she did she had intended for them to be acted on, and added he thought it was possible that - as the defendant had told the court - "you said it because you wanted the publicity".

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