British millionaire to cover legal costs of Christian street preachers in court

Samuel Leeds. Photo: Samuel Leeds/Facebook

British entrepreneur and millionaire Samuel Leeds has announced that he will take on the legal costs of Christian street preachers who face police action or court proceedings as a result of public preaching. This was reported on August 14, 2026, by the American editorial office of the UOJ.

Leeds, born in 1991, is known in the United Kingdom primarily as a property investor and business strategy coach. In an interview with Truth Times magazine, he said he was «outraged and shocked» that Christians in the country are being detained for preaching their faith. Among the examples he cited were Daya Mudly, who was arrested in Bristol, and Steve Maile – a 66-year-old apostolic evangelist and senior pastor of Oasis City Church in Watford. Maile was detained on April 18, 2026, during a street preaching session in Watford town centre, where he was singing hymns and speaking about the history of violent Islamism; a case was opened against him on suspicion of causing a public order offence and inciting hatred.

Leeds explained his decision by his financial success and a sense of duty towards Christians who face legal difficulties because of preaching. He also accused the British authorities of double standards: according to him, overtly sexualised content in public spaces attracts almost no police attention, while preachers quoting the Bible come under pressure. In his view, the United Kingdom remains a Christian country that is tolerant of different religions, «except Christians themselves.»

Despite the criticism, Leeds sees signs of a revival of the Christian faith in the United Kingdom and cites research suggesting that the proportion of Christians, particularly among young people, has recently been growing again, as has church attendance.

As the UOJ reported, all police officers in England were called upon to observe the Ramadan fast in solidarity.

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