article: He is to be prosecuted in relation to the internet broadcast of a sermon he delivered at the Whitewell Tabernacle, Belfast in May 2014. He told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme: "I don't want to go to jail, but I am prepared to go. Pastor McConnell said he was defending the right to free speech. "I believe passionately in the word of the Lord Jesus Christ and I am fighting for a principle." In May 2014, the pastor delivered a sermon in which he described Islam as "heathen" and "satanic". After the sermon was posted online, complaints led to a police investigation. The evangelical preacher later issued a public apology for any offence caused. The Public Prosecution Service says Pastor McConnell was offered an informed warning but he refused it. While an informed warning is not a conviction, it is recorded on a person's criminal record for 12 months. Anyone who refuses to accept it can be prosecuted.
summary: Pastor James McConnell says he is prepared to go to jail to defend his right to free speech.