Highlights
- Three Lighthouse members found guilty of harassment without violence at Stratford Magistrates' Court.
- Group hired private investigator to find BBC journalist Catrin Nye's home address.
- Defendants staged protests at BBC offices and made multiple visits to Nye's residence.
Three members of Lighthouse have been convicted of harassing BBC journalist Catrin Nye, who investigated the group for the 2023 documentary and podcast series "A Very British Cult".
Kristofer Deichler, 47, Jatinder Kamra, 46, and Sukhraj Singh, 39, were all found guilty of harassment without violence at Stratford Magistrates' Court.
The case centred on their targeting of Nye after she presented programmes raising concerns about Lighthouse and allegations regarding how its leadership treated people attempting to leave.
District Judge Susan Holdham heard how the men staged demonstrations outside BBC offices in central London, holding placards accusing the corporation and Nye of shielding child abusers and racists.
Members chanted "Stop paedophilia at the BBC" and shouted at staff, asking if they had "any shame".
Court hears impact
However, prosecutors argued the men "crossed the line" when they began visiting Nye's home in summer 2024. The court heard Lighthouse had hired a private investigator to trace her address.
The men travelled to her house, rang the doorbell, and recorded themselves attempting to deliver a Bible and letter. When nobody answered, they posted leaflets to neighbours showing Nye's name and photograph.
They returned days later at 8am, waiting until Nye's partner left with their two small children before calling again. Nye, who was inside with a security guard, did not answer.
The defendants claimed they were acting as "citizen journalists" producing their own documentary in response.
Sukhraj Singh told the court he had lost clients and income after the broadcast and was now living on benefits. He said, "justice would be for the BBC to apologise and broadcast the facts to the audience".
Both Nye and her partner gave evidence from behind a screen about the impact on their family.
Nye said she became unwilling to leave home with her children and was reduced to a "paranoid" state. The couple installed CCTV and a Ring doorbell at their property.
Finding all three guilty, Judge Holdham said the visits "were intimidatory as well as retaliatory" and constituted harassment. The men were bailed and will be sentenced on February (2).
A BBC spokesperson noted, "A free and independent press is fundamental to a democratic society, and it is essential that journalists are able to carry out their work without intimidation, harassment or abuse."
