A Christian man has been found guilty of breaching abortion clinic buffer zone rules after silently praying for his deceased son.
Adam Smith-Connor, a military veteran and father of two, was sentenced at Poole Magistrates Court on 16th October to a conditional discharge and was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £9,000.
A conditional discharge is a type of conviction that means Smith-Connor will only be sentenced if he is convicted of any future offences in the next two years.
In its decision, the court reasoned that his prayer amounted to “disapproval of abortion” because at one point his head was seen slightly bowed and his hands were clasped.
According to Alliance Defending Freedom UK (ADF UK), the organisation advocating for Smith-Connor, in November 2022 he spent approximately three minutes praying silently outside an abortion clinic before a local council officer approached him and asked about "the nature of his prayers".
Smith-Connor had previously paid for an abortion for his ex-girlfriend and told the officer that he was praying for his deceased son.
A month later, Smith-Connor received a fixed penalty notice, or fine, for praying near the clinic.
Legal proceedings were then brought against him by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council.
In the trial, Smith-Connor denied the accusation that he had not complied with the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in place around the clinic.
However, District Judge Orla Austin today ruled that the 51-year-old was in breach of the PSPO, adding that what he did was “deliberate”.
Responding to the verdict, Smith-Connor said:
“Today, the court has decided that certain thoughts – silent thoughts – can be illegal in the United Kingdom. That cannot be right. All I did was pray to God, in the privacy of my own mind – and yet I stand convicted as a criminal?
“I served for 20 years in the army reserves, including a tour in Afghanistan, to protect the fundamental freedoms that this country is built upon. I continue that spirit of service as a health care professional and church volunteer. It troubles me greatly to see our freedoms eroded to the extent that thoughtcrimes are now being prosecuted in the UK.”
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING🚨🚨🚨
— ADF UK (@ADF_UK) October 16, 2024
British courts have found Adam guilty for praying to God, silently in his mind, for 3 minutes in an abortion "buffer zone".
This is the first known conviction of a "thoughtcrime" in modern British history. pic.twitter.com/l352IEJ58A
Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF UK, described the ruling a "legal turning point of immense proportions".
"A man has been convicted today because of the content of his thoughts – his prayers to God – on the public streets of England," he said.
"We can hardly sink any lower in our neglect of basic fundamental freedoms of free speech and thought. We will look closely at the judgment and will consider an appeal. Human rights are for all people – no matter their view on abortion.”
Commenting on the trial and the use of public funds ahead of the verdict, former Conservative MP Miriam Cates said:
“This isn’t 1984, but 2024 - nobody should be on trial for the mere thoughts they hold in their mind. It’s outrageous that the local council are pouring taxpayer funding into prosecuting a thoughtcrime, at a time where resources are stretched thin.
"Buffer zone regulations are disproportionately wide, leaving innocent people vulnerable to prosecution merely for offering help, or simply holding their own beliefs.”
A BCP Council Spokesperson told Premier: “The council welcomes the Court’s decision that the prosecution was not an abuse of the legal process, and to find Mr Smith-Connor guilty of breaching the terms of the Public Spaces Protection Order on 24 November 2022.
“The Public Spaces Protection Order covering Ophir Road and the surrounding area, Bournemouth, was introduced following public consultation in 2022 and is in place to protect those accessing or working in medical services at the British Pregnancy Advisory Clinic.
“The Council will continue to monitor any alleged breaches and take appropriate action when it is deemed necessary.”
