Sentencing of Men Harassing BBC Journalist
Three men have each been sentenced to 200 hours of community service for harassing BBC journalist Catrin Nye, who presented the podcast series and documentary, A Very British Cult.
Kristofer Deichler, 47, Jatinder Kamra, 46, and Sukhraj Singh, 39, were also issued a restraining order prohibiting them from contacting or approaching Nye or her partner for 10 years.
Additionally, the men are banned from entering the London borough where the couple reside for a decade.
Convictions and Background
All three defendants were convicted last month at Stratford Magistrates' Court of harassment without violence.
Each man is a member of Lighthouse, the group investigated in the 2023 documentary and podcast fronted by Nye.
The BBC programmes raised concerns about Lighthouse and reported allegations regarding the treatment of individuals who attempted to leave the organisation.
Details of Harassment
Judge Holdham at Stratford Magistrates Court heard that the men held demonstrations outside the BBC and appeared at Nye's home on three occasions, claiming to deliver a Bible and a letter.
In her verdict, Judge Holdham expressed disbelief that the visits to Nye's home were genuine expressions of religious belief, noting that despite repeated visits, the men did not actually leave the Bible behind.
"Their actions were 'more performative than real' and the defendants had really wanted to film footage of a confrontation with Nye and them giving her the Bible,"
the judge stated.
She added that despite the men's claims to the contrary, their behaviour had been "intended to cause alarm and distress".
Financial Penalties
The defendants were each ordered to pay £650 in costs plus a £114 victim's surcharge.
Defendants' Claims and Court Testimony
The men claimed they had been attempting to produce their own documentary in response to A Very British Cult and described themselves as "citizen journalists."
During the trial, both Nye and her partner gave evidence from behind a screen regarding the impact the visits had on them and their children.
Nye stated that Lighthouse had been given "multiple opportunities and deadline extensions to involve themselves in the production of the programme, and these were not responded to."
"Terrifying people in their neighbourhood and terrifying their children is not how you respond to an organisation."
She further explained that the group distributed leaflets featuring her name and picture, containing severe accusations such as claiming she destroyed businesses and protected child abusers.
Impact on Victims
The couple installed a Ring doorbell and CCTV at their home for security.
Nye described how she became reluctant to leave home with her children, even for brief outings, and was reduced to a "paranoid" state, the court heard.
