Three men dismissed from harassing BBC journalist over cult documentary

Three members of a group known as Lighthouse have lost their appeal against convictions for harassing BBC journalist Catrin Nye regarding her programme, A Very British Cult.

Kristofer Deichler, 47, Jatinder Kamra, 46, and Sukhraj Singh were originally sentenced in February after visiting Nye’s home in August and September 2024. At Snaresbrook Crown Court, Judge Pounder ruled that their conduct was neither reasonable nor proportionate to any exercise of free expression.

The appellants had sought to overturn sentences that included 200 hours of community service each, alongside 10-year restraining orders prohibiting contact with Nye or her partner, as well as a ban on entering the London borough where the couple resides.

During the appeals hearing, the court heard that the men had used a private investigator to locate Nye’s home address. Following an interaction with the journalist in July 2024, Kamra expressed dissatisfaction with unanswered questions, prompting the group to decide on a visit.

Judge Pounder noted that while the men claimed they were acting as citizen journalists conducting a doorstep interview for their own documentary, their actions crossed into bullying and oppression. He highlighted their deliberate acquisition of a private address, the distribution of inflammatory leaflets to neighbours, and their return visit as evidence of unreasonable behaviour.

The judge observed that the leaflets distributed during the August 29 visit went beyond criticism of journalism, instead associating Nye with serious allegations concerning racism and the concealment of child sexual abuse. This was further compounded when Kamra returned a week later to post a handwritten note reading “we will be back,” which materially reinforced Nye’s fears.

Nye testified from behind a curtain, describing the experience as extremely distressing. The court heard that the harassment forced her to install CCTV, panic alarms, direct police lines, and carry personal safety alarms.

Although the judge acknowledged that the men’s religious views were sincerely held, he dismissed claims that their attendance was a religious expression. He noted that prayers said outside the home were incidental and that religious materials could have been sent via post without trespassing on her privacy.

“While there were elements of peaceful protest and freedom of expression, their conduct… was not proportionate to the proper exercise of those rights and went beyond what was acceptable and indeed became criminal,” Pounder said.

In addition to upholding the original convictions, the judge ordered each man to pay an extra £1,000 in costs.