Retired pastor, 78, convicted and fined for preaching Bible verse near Northern Ireland hospital

A 78-year-old retired pastor has been convicted and fined for preaching a gospel sermon near a hospital in Northern Ireland.

“Naturally, I was deeply saddened by the verdict,” Clive Johnston told Fox News Digital.

“At 78 years old, I never imagined I would leave a courtroom with a criminal conviction for preaching the Christian gospel. But beyond the personal impact, my overriding concern is what this says about the state of fundamental freedoms in our nation.”

On May 7, District Judge Peter King at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court convicted Johnston of breaching a “safe access zone” outside Causeway Hospital in Coleraine on July 7, 2024.

Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act prohibits “influencing,” “preventing or impeding access,” or “causing harassment, alarm or distress” to a protected person within 100 meters (about 328 feet) of facilities where abortions are performed.

Johnston was found guilty of “influencing” inside the protected zone and fined