Couple awarded £300k in damages after suing gossip website

A County Antrim couple have been awarded £300,000 in libel damages after they sued controversial gossip website, Tattle Life.

Entrepreneurs Neil and Donna Sands secured the pay-out in a defamation and harassment lawsuit over abusive comments posted on the website.

The defendant companies and suspected operator of the site, Sebastian Bond, can now be revealed after reporting restrictions were lifted at Belfast's High Court on Friday.

The couple obtained £150,000 in damages each as well as legal costs in December 2023 after suing over what they regarded as "hate speech".

The website which hosts threads commenting on influencers, celebrities and general members of the public has attracted up to 12 million visitors a month.

The judge said the site had been set up to deliberately inflict hurt and harm on others by allowing the anonymous trashing of people's reputations.

Neil Sands, 43, a technology entrepreneur and his 34-year-old wife Donna who has a fashion business, sued over posts made in February 2021.

They claimed they were subject to a campaign of harassment, invasion of privacy, defamation and breach of data rights.

The legal battle lasted two years and was undertaken at the cost of Mr and Mrs Sands.

A series of freezing orders for more than £1m were also made while a worldwide forensic investigation was carried out to identify the defendants and their assets.

The defendants can now be identified as UK national Sebastian Bond and the British and Hong Kong-registered companies Yuzu Zest Limited and Kumquat Tree Limited.

A barrister argued it was now beyond doubt that Mr Bond operated the site.

Speaking outside court, Mr Sands said the case had been taken on behalf of others who have suffered serious personal and professional harm through anonymous online attacks.

Further legal efforts are expected to focus on securing enforcement of the damages award.