Anti LGBTQ activist and former police officer Gordon Downey has been sentenced after pleading guilty to harassing Paul Bloomer – a serving police officer, between 27 August 2022 and 17 October 2024. The case was heard at Coleraine Magistrates Court, Northern Ireland on the 29 April 2025, by District Judge Peter King. Downey was sentenced in Coleraine Magistrates Court on 9 May 2025. The Judge, who ordered Downey to pay a £2,000 fine, £500 compensation order and a three-year restraining order, described Downey’s conduct as “lunacy”.
Victim Paul Bloomer is a serving police constable and prominent member of the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Ireland. Paul served as Co-Chair of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) LGBT+ Network from 2017-2023, Communications Director of the UK National LGBT+ Police Network and a trustee of Belfast Pride. Paul also set up a UK-wide intersectionality Working Group which aimed to improve representation of Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority people in police LGBTQ+ staff networks. Paul has spoken internationally at policing conferences in Europe and North America and is recognised as a leading figure in driving LGBTQ inclusion efforts in UK policing.
Downey subjected Paul to over two years of homophobic and transphobic abuse. In the time he plead guilty to, Downey published hundreds of posts containing sickening homophobic and transphobic abuse targeted at Paul as well as submitting numerous complaints to PSNI’s Professional Standards Department. Downey also posted hundreds of discriminatory and inflammatory pieces of content about trans people, Muslim people and Black people, as well as misogynistic commentary. Downey’s profile picture on X (formerly Twitter) in 2023 depicted a swastika composed of ‘Progress’ LGBTQ+ pride flags, a symbol widely recognised as an attempt to mock and intimidate LGBTQ+ people.
Downey has links to the anti-LGBTQ group Fair Cop, interacting with them across nearly 500 posts, many of them relating to Paul Bloomer. In 2020 Fair Cop promoted a social media campaign #SayYesToHate. Fair Cop tweeted out supportive messages for Downey in October 2024 and in the days leading up to the court date. On the 26 April 2025 Fair Cop posted, “Next week, Harry is travelling to Belfast to help challenge the unhinged, government funded nob in the criminal court.” Miller did not appear in court on the day of Downey’s conviction.
Speaking after the sentencing Paul said: “Gordon Downey subjected me to over two years of homophobic abuse, this wasn’t just online, it was also through complaints made to my workplace, this left me feeling that I had nowhere safe and caused me significant harm. I firmly believe that Gordon Downey did not act alone, and I’m calling on the Police Service of Northern Ireland to ensure that all individuals who aided or enabled his harassment are held accountable.
“I was targeted because I’m a queer person who stood up to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ people to be included and respected by policing institutions. Trans and non-binary people are some of the most vulnerable and marginalised people in society, standing up for them has been the honour of my life, despite what I’ve been through I’ll never change my stance on defending marginalised and vulnerable people. Hate must always be opposed. In Northern Ireland we have had enough of hate, it has no place here anymore.
“This case wasn’t just about criminal harassment; it was about fighting to be yourself in public life. Every LGBTQ person in Northern Ireland has the right to live and love openly, freely, and without fear. We are protected by law, and no one should face harassment or discrimination for being who they are. The LGBTQ community is built on love and we are survivors; we’ve faced hatred many times and we’re still here. By standing up, speaking out, and supporting one another, we ensure that love and justice prevail.
“This victory over hate, belongs to the entire LGBTQ+ community, I hope it inspires others to stand against hate in all its forms. Justice is possible, but we must have the courage to demand it. If you are a victim of hate, know that you are not alone. You have the power to speak out and report it, the strength to fight, and a community ready to stand with you. My community supported me through this and I’m so grateful for them. Always remember this, the truth is great and shall prevail, love is the greatest truth of all and love always wins.”
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