The transgender lawyer who has accused Father Ted scribe Graham Linehan of transphobia and is suing him for harassment was once convicted of affray for threatening a man with a golf club, as well as for a number of other offences.

Stephanie Hayden, who is also suing Mumsnet and recently sued a transsexual solicitor, now identifies as a lawyer. But in 1999, when Hayden was a 28-year-old man known as Anthony Halliday, Halliday was charged with assault and affray. In court documents seen by RollOnFriday, the prosecutor in the Preston Crown Court case described how Halliday became embroiled in an argument after he refused to move his car from outside a man's house in Burnley. When the man said he would use a fork lift truck to remove the car, Halliday "became abusive", said the prosecution, and threw a punch after calling the victim a "big fat bastard".

The victim told police that the pair scuffled, and as he walked back to his house he felt a blow to the back of his head. He said he turned around to see Halliday wielding a golf club. After another scuffle in the street, the victim returned to his house, "bleeding from the head". His wife grabbed a video camera and recorded Halliday as he "picked up his golf club and brandished it, tapping on the glass of the victim's house". 

"Well sir, I guess for double glazing in Burnley I'd recommend a five iron."


The charge of assault was left on Halliday's file after he pled guilty to the lessor offence of affray. He was sentenced to 150 hours community service, which he subsequently appealed on the basis of another case which he said was similar. It was dismissed as having "no merit" by the Court of Appeal in 2002. The judge noted that Halliday had appeared in court and been convicted in respect of several other crimes, which included disorderly behaviour and "a number of offences of dishonesty".

Hayden, who told RollOnFriday that the police were watching three of her properties as a result of Linehan's complaint, denied striking anyone with a golf club and emphasised that she was never convicted of striking anyone with a golf club. She said, "These events date back to 1999 and whilst the original sentence was indeed a 150 hours community punishment order, upheld on appeal in 2002, the sentence was subsequently varied by HHJ Badley (the original sentencing judge) in May 2004 to a 1 year Conditional Discharge following a referral back to that judge after successful proceedings in the Administrative Court involving the Probation Service. The conviction is long spent.”

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Anonymous 23 November 18 10:28

I'm struggling to see what the story is here or why I should care... someone is suing someone (civil) for harassment but their own background has some spent convictions? Is the issue that they are a solicitor, it doesn't appear to be; with several convictions for violence I can't imagine they would enjoy a long tenure on the roll if they have even been admitted (noting use of the word lawyer rather than solicitor).

Big Ern 23 November 18 11:08

You're struggling to see what the story is? About someone who says they are a lawyer running around threatening people with a golf club? Ok...

Anonymous 23 November 18 12:42

But Hayden isn't a solicitor. Anyone can claim to be a lawyer. If it offends you, report it to the SRA and see if they care.

Lydia 23 November 18 14:14

Sounds a  nasty. I never liked golfers.

I've never hit anyone over the head with a golf club or otherwise nor made their head bleed. SPent or otherwise that is a very nasty thing to have done. People need to control their tempers. Thinngs go wrong in life and you just have to keep calm. and the less people say on twitter the better - dangerous place given how often some people sue.

anon 23 November 18 15:28

Interesting the Hayden says they are not claiming to be a solicitor, yet their (latest) companies house registration is listed as 'Solicitors' under 'Nature of Business'. I wonder whether their company has any registered solicitors to enable them to make that claim.

A Woman 23 November 18 16:12

It's also about allowing people to wipe out their entire history by using the charge of 'deadnaming' against anyone who highlights their past behaviour *if* that past behaviour happened prior to them transitioning. There are a number of charges against Hayden, which a quick Google using any of their previous names can demonstrate

Anon 23 November 18 16:58

It is relevant when someone is campaigning for men (including himself) to be able to hide their previous life and gain access to single sex spaces where women are vulnerable.


Anonymous 23 November 18 17:15

Desperation digging up crap from 20 years ago. Anyone would think there was a transphobic agenda here.

MargaretG 23 November 18 18:01

"Think it is about trying to paint Hayden in a bad light."

I think Hayden's actions both then and now have placed them in a bad light

KilgoreSprout 23 November 18 20:21

LOL, what exactly do you think a 20+ year old offence has to do with the legitimacy of a libel suit against @Glinner exactly? Almost as if you are a helpful Gamergate like mob digging up any bit of dirt you can on people who cross swords with the ideology you ascribe to.

Anonymous 24 November 18 13:11

"be able to hide their previous life and gain access to single sex spaces where women are vulnerable. "

Nothing more than fearmongering. As the providers of women's refuges have repeatedly said but still people like this poster use it to spread feat and hate and this website to its shame indulges it. 

Anonymous 24 November 18 13:47

Great to see Scotland leading the way in backing the human rights of transgender men and women.


Serge 24 November 18 18:04

Some commenters above seem confused.  This story doesn’t use the term ‘transgender’ perjoratively. It is necessary to provide sense. It would have been bizarre to read without explanation that the offences attributed to Hayden, a woman, were committed by a man with a different name. 

In addition, given that several if not all of hayden’s legal actions (which it doesn’t appear she has been shy about publicising on social media) have at their core the issue/accusation of transphobia, it doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable for stories to refer to the fact she is transgender. 

Having said that, it seems obvious to me that Hayden is being written about not because she is transgender, but because she is a lawyer. I suspect some of the critical voices above may be coming here for the first time, because they don’t appear to realise that stories about lawyers doing ‘interesting’ things and/or with ‘interesting’ pasts is not exactly an unusual genre on RoF. IE, I would expect to see this story here if all the facts were the same except that she wasn’t transgender. Conversely, if all the facts were the same but she wasn’t a lawyer? Not so sure you’d see it here.

Anonymous 25 November 18 20:58

Any lawyer who plays golf should be struck off - it's terrible behaviour and there's no excuse for it.

anon 27 November 18 23:58

The various reports of Hayden's internet spats suggest she has a thin skin and a short fuse.  This seems to confirm it... 

Anonymous 28 November 18 11:20

"Stephanie Hayden ... now identifies as a lawyer" is the kind of writing Legal Cheek can only aspire to.

BST2018 29 November 18 11:04

Sounds like someone in the Judiciary should seriously be having a look about whether this is falling into vexatious litigant order territory.

The Honey Badger 10 December 18 10:04

Right.  So run this past me again.  Stephanie has got a criminal record, has she?  So why is she practising as a lawyer?  Because, you thick twats, to be able to practice as a solicitor you must have a clean record....

I know Stephanie.  This story is absolute bollocks.  It is rubbish.  And Linehan needs to be careful now as he's has another visit from the police for harassing a junior GP.  

Ian Gladson 10 December 18 10:37

"harassing a junior GP" - you mean adrian harrop? Making him sound very sweet and innocent by calling hi m a 'junior gp'. Googling him reveals he is a harcore transgender activist. Just because he managed to sitck the cops on someone by reporting a tweet doesn't mean it was harassment either. that seems to be the go to accusation for this bunch, they accuse anyone who crticises them of harassment. Coppers will get wise to it soon enough.

The Honey Badger 10 December 18 19:14

Adrian stand up for transgender rights, if that's what you mean.  And unlike you, Gladson, he's never had sexual intercourse with a member of his own family, a farmyard animal or anyone under the age of 16...

The Honey Badger 10 December 18 20:12

Yes, Gladson,  I do mean Dr Adrian Harrop.  And it was harassment by Linehan.  Obviously, you haven't got a clue what you are talking about or you're just a transphobic scumbag.

Gladson 11 December 18 07:58

I don’t know how you know so much about me honey badger but you’re quite right, I confess, I made passionate love to my grandmother, a young lad, and a duck. But it was all in one crazy evening. And we would never do it again. I can’t look Quacky in the eye, Dennis is in Spain and gamgam has passed on. Can’t you forgive me?

The Honey Badger 14 December 18 10:51

You know,. Gladson, you've admitted on here you're into incest and paedophilia...?

I know a transwoman - she's had the op - in Northern Ireland.  Her brother is a senior commander in the Ulster Volunteer Force ie a paramilitary group.  People who insult her tend to be kneecapped...

Shame if the same happened to you, eh...

The Honey Badger 14 December 18 10:57

Oh, and that is NOT a threat either.

You forget this but a lot of trans women have served in the Armed Forces with all that entails and quite a few of them have "connections"....

You mouth off against trans people at your peril.

The Honey Badger 14 December 18 11:42

Blame the transphobic little shit Gladson for that...

Before you ask, i am actually a bloke - and a big one at that - whose mate has a child who is trans.  That is why I am anti-transphobe.  

Big Frank 19 January 19 10:00

Oi Gladson!

You wanna watch your mouth, mate.  I'm the HB's mate who he mentioned.  My kid is trans. You gonna mouth off at me?  A 6ft 3 ex-Para, biker and bouncer? 

Bet you and the other little nonces would...

Leigh Williams 10 February 19 11:09

I note, with interest, the numerous threats of physical violence. That's just men being men. This Stephanie Hayden seems to be a violent sort of person, too. By their fruits ye shall know them.

So yes, I'm a transphobe. Like all sensible women, I'm afraid of male pattern violence, whether it comes packaged in trousers or a skirt. 

Worried Mum 10 February 19 15:24

i think the website should remove all comments that threaten violence and ban the "Honey Badger" from the site

Jones 11 February 19 21:15

Honey badger appears everywhere, always spewing out the same psychotic filth - but even he can't bring himself to describe himself as human.


I gather private detectives have been employed to locate him...

Terfy 12 February 19 11:12

Honey Badger... get a life. And before you ask, I am actually a chick - and a big one at that - who has a child who is female. That is why I am anti-TRA.  

Barry Scott 26 April 19 03:25

A man in a dress and make-up is still a man, no matter what he wants to call himself. 

To write "a lot of trans women have served in the Armed Forces" suggests that these people are suffering some sort of mental health problem, and this is then expressed as pretending to be something they are not (a woman, for example!)