Leeds man 'delighted' after being acquitted of harassing family members who he told were in a 'cult'

Following a trial at Leeds Magistrates’ Court this week, Lance Christie, was found not guilty of harassing eight members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church; including two of his sons and his nephew.

A church spokesperson said they are “disappointed” with the outcome and that they will “continue to strongly refute Mr Christie’s allegations about our beliefs”.

During the hearing it was heard that Mr Christie was born into the church but was excommunicated in 2017 due to acts of “heresy”. Mr Christie sent letters and emails to members of the “fundamentalist” church, which has a congregation in Horsforth, saying it was a “cult” and operated through a system of “kangaroo court”. Members that gave evidence said that the correspondence was an “attack on what’s precious” to them and left them “sickened”.

Representing Mr Christie, Simon Myerson KC said that the accusations made by the church members were “a concerted effort made out of vindictiveness and spite” and “an exercise in pearl clutching”.

He emphasised that members had read the emails of their own volition and that their reasons for feeling harassed were “nonsense”. He said: “It sounds like someone hitting themself in the face and saying ‘look what you made me do’.”

Following the verdict, a spokesperson for Mr Christie said: "Mr Christie is delighted to be fully exonerated of all charges brought against him and further that this distressing period of his life is over and can be put behind him.