Adam Smith-Connor is an ordinary man. He’s a husband, a father, and a practicing physiotherapist providing for his family. But his courage is extraordinary. The British Army veteran and Christian is unafraid to defend his faith or share his pro-life views publicly.

Before Adam’s conversion to Christianity, he had paid for the abortion of his first son, Jacob, whom he conceived with an ex-girlfriend – a decision that he deeply regrets. He’s found forgiveness but knows firsthand the trauma of abortion and the loss of life it causes. That’s why he prays silently in public – about his own son, other unborn babies and their mothers, and fathers.

Bournemouth police fined Adam for praying silently about his deceased son in an abortion facility “buffer zone” on 24 November 2022. He prayed with his back to the facility to avoid any impression of approaching or engaging any women entering or leaving the facility, and yet was still questioned by police.

According to the rules of the censorship zone in which he was praying, if Adam were thinking about any other issue – the economy, immigration, or healthcare, for example – he wouldn’t have been fined. It was the nature of his thoughts, his silent prayer, that got him in legal trouble.

The UK has witnessed a modern-day ‘thought crime’ trial.

In August 2023, Bournemouth authorities criminally prosecuted Adam for this and although his trial was originally scheduled for last November, it was delayed for almost a year. This prolonged process has caused Adam and his family unwarranted hardship and emotional strain. 

In October 2024, The Court sentenced Smith-Connor to a conditional discharge and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £9,000.  

In its decision, the court reasoned that his prayer amounted to “disapproval of abortion” because at one point his head was seen slightly bowed and his hands were clasped. 

With legal support from ADF UK, Adam Smith-Connor will pursue an appeal against his conviction for praying silently in a “buffer zone”.