Richard Johnson v. Graham Steele & Ors.
[2014] EWHC B24 (QB)
In the High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division
Case Number HQ13D03256
Before Sir David Eady, Judge
Decided on October 29, 2014

Relevancy of the Case: Damages in a case of sustained cyber bullying campaign to harm the claimant’s reputation

Relevant Facts of the Case

• The plaintiff is a specialist in dispute resolution in the building industry. He brought a case against the defendant and others for a sustained cyber bullying campaign that included creating fake accounts in his name and publishing serious and distressing allegations.
• The defendant’s conduct included making false allegations to the police, which resulted in the claimant’s arrest. Also, it included hiding or destroying computers despite warnings to cooperate, adding to the distress and expense of litigation.
• The case is focused on the period of November 2011 to June 2013. The defendant’s continued onslaught exposed thousands of readers to defamatory statements against the claimant. The defendant aimed to cause maximum damage to his reputation while hiding behind anonymity.

Prominent Arguments by the Counsels

• The claimant’s counsel submitted that the defendant’s actions have caused significant stress and anxiety to the claimant and his family.

Opinion of the Bench

• The defendants are already in breach of an unless order the court gave on October 16, 2014. Therefore, the court only needs to determine the appropriate remedies.

Final Decision

• The court awarded £70,000 as compensatory and aggravated damages to the claimant.

Aditi Mangesh Sawant, an undergraduate student at NMIMS Kirit P Mehta School of Law, Mumbai, prepared this case summary during her internship with The Cyber Blog India in January/February 2024.