Manchester Arena survivors damages ruling is ‘message to conspiracy theorists’

A ruling that a man who claims the Manchester Arena attack was staged should pay £45,000 in damages to two harassed survivors “sends out a message to conspiracy theorists”, one of the injured has said.

Martin Hibbert and his daughter Eve sued former television producer Richard Hall for harassment over his claims in several videos and a book that the attack was a state-orchestrated hoax, with the pair involved as “crisis actors”.

They both suffered life-changing injuries at the Ariana Grande concert in May 2017, with Mr Hibbert left with a spinal cord injury and Miss Hibbert facing severe brain damage.

Mr Hall claimed his actions – including filming Miss Hibbert outside her home – were in the public interest as a journalist, and told the High Court trial that “millions of people have bought a lie” about the attack.

Last month Mrs Justice Steyn ruled in favour of the Hibberts and described Mr Hall’s behaviour as “a negligent, indeed reckless, abuse of media freedom”.

At a hearing on Friday, the judge said Mr Hibbert and his daughter would each be awarded £22,500 in damages.

She said: “The claimants are both vulnerable… The allegations are serious and distressing.”

Jonathan Price, for the pair, said Mr Hall’s behaviour was “towards the more oppressive end of the spectrum of harassing conduct”.

Mr Price had told the court a total of £75,000 for the pair should be awarded, while Paul Oakley, for Mr Hall, argued that £7,500 each was appropriate.

Mrs Justice Steyn ruled that she would not award further damages after Mr Hall brought up some of his theories about the bombing during the trial.

She said: “I am not persuaded that the conduct of the litigation warrants an award of aggravated damages.

“The defendant’s narrative is preposterous… but I accept having heard his evidence he has convinced himself it is true.”

An injunction preventing further harassment was made against Mr Hall, who was also told to pay 90% of the Hibberts’ legal costs.

The final figure may be determined by a specialist judge if an agreement is not reached, but the court heard the total is currently estimated at £260,000.

In a statement outside the London court, Mr Hibbert said he was pleased with the ruling.

He continued: “I want this case to open up the door for change, and for it to protect others from what we have been put through.

“It proves and has highlighted… that there is protection within the law, and it sends out a message to conspiracy theorists that you cannot ignore all acceptable evidence and harass innocent people.”

Mr Hibbert later said “there will be tears” but that he was very proud and looking forward to hugging his daughter.

He continued: “People don’t see that because you don’t put that on social media, so to have to deal with that and just live a normal life is hard, but I’m a Boltonian and the way I’ve been brought up, you face a bully straight on and that’s what I’ve done today.”

Asked later whether the size of the damages were important, Mr Hibbert said he did not expect to see any of the money.

He said: “What this was about was bringing him down in public, in front of his own followers, that’s what I’ve done.”

Mr Hall, speaking outside court, said the proceedings were “not a fair trial” and repeated his claim that no bomb exploded during the Manchester Arena attack.

He said: “There aren’t many citizens, if any, who have researched and investigated the Manchester Arena incident more than I have.

“In my years of investigation I did not find any evidence to show that a real bomb was used.”