A Christian street preacher has been cleared of all charges after being falsely accused of making abusive comments towards a homosexual couple.
Andrew Frost had been preaching in Nottingham when two homosexuals reported him for verbal abuse.
Frost was charged under the Public Order Act 1986, “with intent to cause a person harassment, alarm or distress”.
Acquitted
According to Rory Green, a friend who was preaching alongside him at the time, the couple shouted abusive comments at Frost, and then left.
One of the men later returned and called the police, accusing Frost of verbal abuse and making lewd comments.
Last week, a judge at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court cleared Frost of all wrongdoing and awarded him his legal fees.
‘Free to share’
After hearing the result, Frost said: “I am thankful that the judge saw sense and acquitted me of this charge.
“Christians need to be free to share the good news of the gospel to anyone who will listen – as we are commanded in Scripture to do.”
Green added: “We are law abiding citizens. We love God and love people. We never seek to intentionally hurt people nor cause alarm, distress and harassment.”
He went on to say: “Andrew is a good man and loves people. He wants to see people know Jesus. Andy loves all people, from all walks.”
‘Encouraging result’
The decision was welcomed by Andrea Minichiello Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which supported Frost’s case.
Williams said: “The freedoms that we enjoy today in this nation are largely due to our biblical foundation”.
“This encouraging result should offer some reassurance to Christians who may feel fearful of the consequences of sharing their beliefs with others”, she added.