Bristol businessman Arron Banks has lost a libel case he brought against journalist Carole Cadwalladr over her claims he'd lied about his Brexit campaign links to Russia.
The businessman, who owned a number of insurance companies in north Bristol and was the biggest financial backer of the Leave.EU campaign in the 2016 Brexit campaign, had sued the freelance journalist over a claim she made in a TED Talk.
In that April 2019 talk, about her investigations into the Brexit campaign in 2016, Ms Cadwalladr had said: "On more than one occasion Mr Banks told untruths about a secret relationship he had with the Russian government in relation to acceptance of foreign funding of electoral campaigns in breach of the law on such funding."
Read more: Arron Banks slammed for 'vile' Greta Thunberg joke
After Mr Banks, from Thornbury, challenged that TED Talk allegation, Ms Cadwalladr tweeted her response, and that was also claimed to be libellous by the Bristol businessman. Mr Banks sued Ms Cadwalladr in a high profile libel trial, claiming that was not true, and his reputation had been damaged by the libel.
In a lengthy judgement issued this morning, the Hon Mrs Justice Steyn found that, while Mr Banks' evidence 'came across as truthful', Ms Cadwalladr's defence that there was a public interest in raising questions of Mr Banks' links with Russia.
"The claimant (Mr Banks) proved that the publication of the TED talk has caused serious harm to his reputation. The TED talk is defamatory of Mr Banks. The claimant has failed to prove that publication of the Tweet caused serious harm to his reputation," said the judge. "The defendant has established a public interest defence in relation to the publication of the TED Talk. The claimant has failed to prove that the publication of the TED Talk from April 29, 2020 caused, and/or is likely to cause serious harm to his reputation. In respect of that preiod, the TED Talk is not defamatory... accordingly the claim is dismissed."
Carole Cadwalladr tweeted her gratitude at the verdict. "It hasn't sunk in yet," she said. "I am so profoundly grateful and relieved. Thank you to the judge, my stellar legal team and the 29,000 people who contributed to my legal defence fund. I literally couldn't have done it without you."
But Arron Banks said he would likely appeal. "Congratulations to Carole on winning today, it leaves open for the journalist the excuse that she thought what she she said was correct even though she had not facts. There are important points of law at stake here, and we will likely appeal," he said.
"The judge said what she said was defamatory but no serious harm was caused. This was about vindication and it's clear what she said was wrong. The allegation about Russian money was always a hoax!" he added. "I won the only thing that mattered - Brexit!" he added.
Sign up for our new Bristol's Court Insider newsletter for the latest court and crime news - from arrests to trials and sentencings
