British court places penalty on ‘conspiracy theorist’ blogger valued at USD58,000


(MENAFN) A UK court has awarded £45,000 ($58,000) in damages to two survivors of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing after they won a harassment case against Richard Hall, a conspiracy theorist who claimed the attack had been staged by the UK government. Martin Hibbert, who was paralyzed from the waist down, and his daughter Eve, who sustained a severe brain injury in the attack, sued Hall for harassment and violations of data protection laws.

The attack, carried out by suicide bomber Salman Abedi at an Ariana Grande concert, killed 22 people and left hundreds injured. Hall, a former TV producer, had published videos and a book alleging the bombing was a hoax, claiming the victims were either living abroad or already dead. He also filmed Eve outside her home, asserting that she and her father were "crisis actors" in a government plot.

During the trial, Hibbert’s lawyer, Jonathan Price, emphasized the severe, life-altering impact the attack had on the family. Judge Karen Steyn ruled that Hall's actions amounted to harassment, criticizing his insensitive behavior and false claims that undermined the trauma of those affected. She stated that Hall had abused media freedom to spread baseless allegations, ignoring the real and tragic experiences of the victims.

The court awarded £22,500 to each of the Hibberts. Hibbert expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating that it sent a strong message to conspiracy theorists that they could not disregard evidence and harass innocent people.

MENAFN13112024000045015687ID1108880973


MENAFN

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.