Sonia Poulton has had a bad day in court. After John filed his defamation claim against her in 2020, she and her backers have relentlessly used delaying tactics to try to force an unjust settlement, opposing every procedural motion, proclaiming victory over every costs order in their favour even when larger costs orders are made the other way. Today’s judgement by Mrs Justice Hill is a humiliating and devastating blow for Poulton.
From left, Darren Laverty, Sam Smith, John Hemming and barrister Matthew Hodson outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the 18th October 2023.
In today’s judgement, which is available here, Sonia failed in her bid to stop John Hemming bringing a harassment claim against her, failed in her bid to stop John Hemming’s data protection claim against her, failed in her attempt to withdraw an admission on serious harm and failed in her bid to strike out another data protection claim, which was instead stayed until the end of the current case. In order to obtain permission, Hemming had to show a real prospect of success on the harassment claim. The court found that he had. Hemming did however not receive permission to bring an additional, parallel, libel claim to the GDPR and harassment claims.
Darren Laverty is also proceeding with a claim against Sonia Poulton for breach of the settlement between them. The settlement was confidential, but was referred to in court and in the judgement and has become public domain. Humiliatingly, it can now be revealed that Sonia did not in fact get costs against him for their lawsuit, and had to agree to a lifelong restraining agreement that prohibits her from disparaging Laverty in any way on any topic – although that term is reciprocal. Although the judge has acknowledged that Laverty’s claim (and Sonia’s counterclaim) are technically for breach of contract she described it as in effect a harassment claim, saying,
“[…] I cannot ignore the assertions that have been made about the Defendant’s own conduct of the litigation; that I have given permission to the Claimant to advance a harassment claim against her; and that ultimately the Fourth Party’s allegations of harassment against her may be upheld.”
John Hemming has been given permission to begin a harassment claim against Sonia Poulton, which the court found has a “real prospect” of success.
Because of her litigation misconduct of ambushing Mr Hemming before the hearing of 13 July 2022 with a limitation point, Poulton has been ordered to pay the entire cost of that hearing whoever wins the case. Hemming’s claimed costs were over £7,500 whilst Poulton’s claimed costs were over £22,982.90. Regardless of who wins the case, Sonia has lost her nearly £23K in costs for that hearing and will have to pay some part of Hemming’s costs (to be assessed if not agreed). So she has taken a hit of around £30K.
Ms Poulton was given permission to amend her harassment claim against me … because I consented to the amendments as I wish to prove the merits of my article(s) complained of. She did not receive any costs of the amendments. Interestingly, the judge chose to quote my observations on the amendments, specifically that they had no chance at trial and were wrongly pleaded:
“The 3rd Party consents to the amendments but nevertheless considers these to be an abuse of process. The Defendant initially threatened a libel claim. Confronted by defences of Truth, Honest Opinion and Publication in the Public Interest, she has brought a harassment claim instead. It is trite law that a harassment claim relating to press publications, including citizen journalist publications, must please a conscious or negligent abuse of power by the media. None has been pleaded. The 3rd Party consents to the amendments only because he believes it is in the public interest to prove the truth and reasonableness of his allegations made in the articles.”
Poulton has also been ordered to pay £195 costs to me of earlier disclosure against a commenter on this blog. The claim against the commenter has been formally abandoned by Sonia and she is not allowed to use the commenter’s name, which as the judge noted has never passed into the public domain. The costs in my favour mean she has lost her costs of applying for the order. I did fail in my attempt to get some of the hearing costs from Sonia in ‘any event’ but I get a second chance as all of those costs were instead ordered in the case.
I represented myself, but John Hemming was represented by barrister Matthew Hodson, whose performance in advocating for John at the hearing was near-perfect in my view, which is the opinion of a particularly demanding legal consumer. Kudos also to the judge, whose judgement was swift and thorough. Obviously, I did not agree with every point but she had gone and researched the file and case law with great care.
Not so long ago, Sonia gloated that her claim for ‘harassment’ against me was ‘growing’. She now faces two similar claims against herself and significant costs consequences of her actions.
The judge has also ordered extensive disclosure.
The case continues.
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Original post: “Sonia Poulton in Court Humiliation – Costs Hit of Over £30,000”
Seen on Poulton’s fund page: “Friday, November 24, 2023 JUDGMENT DAY
I have been billed approximately £150k so far – which is a phenomenal amount without even getting to trial – and should tell people something of what I have experienced.”
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£150K? One hundred and fifty f*cking K? It’s not even gone to trial yet, and she’s begging the public for more money? 😵💫
That’s 30,000 cups of coffee right there. Thirty thousand of them! It’s a tremendous amount of coffee, isn’t it. Must be rather an expensive brand at £5 each.
Never knew until seeing her funding page that coffee had actually become a currency, tbh. Fascinating. Nor did I know that solicitors and barristers accept coffee instead of cash. God only knows how they shift vast amounts of coffee through the banks. It’s not like it’s Bitcoin.
Wouldn’t waste my own cash on buying cups of coffee for people who don’t have enough money to pay for their own legal fees, but it must be fun for contributors and recipients seeing it all totting up at a fiver and tenner at a time.
Suppose it’s a bit like playing a fruit machine, isn’t it Loads of tokens going in one end, and keeping fingers crossed it spews out the jackpot at the other. Then suddenly there’s no money left to play with. So it’s back to the cashier for more tokens. And then there’s the addiction aspect. Can’t stop, won’t stop. .. Gambling isn’t an easy thing for people to give up. Even harder to give up when the pot’s empty. Cold turkey. Rummaging down the back of the sofa and checking old coat pockets Tapping people up for a fiver here and tenner there. In the words of Kenny Rogers:
“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, Know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away. And know when to run…
Don’t mind me browsing the site. Not been here before. Someone sent me a link to this site for me to read the translations and true interpretations of Sonia Poulton’s ‘Fighting Fund’ page. Apparently it’s the only place outside of private chat groups where the whole truth is being told about her court cases.
Must say, having just read all of Sam Collingwood-Smith’s blogs on Sonia Poulton’s court cases, it’s bugger all like the stuff Sonia Poulton has spent years writing on her page. Can understand her wanting to make herself look good and everyone else look like the baddies. Because if her supporters lose confidence in her, the coffee buying is likely to dry up.
If her last bill of £150K equals 30,000 coffees, how many coffees could the actual trial cost her? Rhetorical. It will obviously cost a very lot of coffees. She’s also considering even more actions now. Therefore, I have to agree with Bruxism’s point regarding a possible gambling addiction developing here. If it isn’t there already. Mind you, if other people are prepared to pay for her habit, I suppose she is unlikely to stop.
What Bruxism said 👍 What Evil Auld Trout said: “She’s also considering even more actions now.”
Who the f*ck is she obsessing over this time? Good Lord. I’ve seen all manner of obsessions and addictions, and can usually understand them. But chucking hundreds of thousands of pounds at solicitors and barristers is a new one for me. Is there a cure for this?
It is to be hoped that she hasn’t started a new craze. I’ve been reading about these ‘influencer’ types. People copying them. Trying to be just like them. Here’s hoping she isn’t that much of an ‘influencer’. Or we won’t be able to move around the internet for ‘Buy me a coffee’ pages being set up to raise funds for suing people. Ffs. At least some people get themselves a job at Lidl to pay their bills. What’s preventing her from getting a job?
What are we going to do when every man and his dog starts pissing about on the internet day and night, talking shite for a job? Who will empty my bins? Who will deliver my groceries?
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Perhaps Poulton’s website should carry a link to https://www.begambleaware.org/ ? Wouldn’t want to see her encouraging others to put their money on dodgy bets after all…
Samuel Collingwood-Smith: “The judge has also ordered extensive disclosure.”
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☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕ Recurring.
Bruxism on November 25, 2023 at 10:59 am:
” 👀
£150K? One hundred and fifty f*cking K? It’s not even gone to trial yet, and she’s begging the public for more money? 😵💫”
There’s taking the piss. And then there’s taking the piss. Looks like a very lot of piss is being taken, doesn’t it.
Esther Baker must have chuckled when she found out Sonia Poulton also has a lifelong restrainer 😁 Bit of company for her, isn’t it.
Makes you wonder who else already has one of these. Maybe they could have more than one. Would suppose there is no way of finding out. Unless it crops up in court at some point. 😂
I don’t think Sonia Poulton is likely to end up sleeping under the arches and I wouldn’t wish that on her. From what I’ve read she’s not always been careful what she said. Then I personally haven’t been on the receiving end of her being vicious. Rory, I thought SP already had a job as a ‘journalist’. She’s obstinate – I may have said this before but as the saying goes “A wise general knows when to retreat”.
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