Arena bomb survivors win conspiracy harassment case
Two survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing have won a High Court harassment case against a former television producer who claimed the attack was staged.
Martin Hibbert and his daughter Eve sued Richard Hall for harassment and data protection over controversial claims he made in several videos and a book.
Mr Hibbert was left with a spinal cord injury and Ms Hibbert suffered severe brain damage as a result of the attack at the venue on 22 May 2017.
Mr Hall had told the court his actions, which included filming Eve outside her home, were in the public interest as a journalist and claimed âmillions of peopleâ had âbought a lieâ about the attack.
Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade rucksack-bomb in the foyer of the venue as thousands of people left an Ariana Grande concert.
The court was told the Hibberts were among those standing nearest to the bomber at the time of the blast.
Mr Hall claimed that several of those who died were living abroad or were dead before the attack, telling the court he believed that no-one was âgenuinely injuredâ in the bombing.
In a 63-page judgment, Mrs Justice Steyn said the Hibberts had won their harassment claim, but said she would not decide the data protection claim at this stage.
The judge said there was âpowerful evidence that Mr Hallâs course of conduct caused Mr Hibbert to suffer alarm, distress and anxietyâ.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.