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Breakthrough judgment in NHS contempt case

In a landmark judgment handed down earlier today Mr Justice Spencer made 14 separate findings of contempt of court by the Defendant in the course of his claim for damages for injury and loss arising from negligent treatment at one of the Trust's hospitals. The Defendant had alleged persisting injury preventing work and requiring care claimed to be worth in excess of £800,000 yet after the service of surveillance footage of his performing manual work the Defendant accepted the Trust's early Part 36 offer of £30,000, which was lost in costs. At the hearing in the RCJ today, the Defendant appeared for the first time and was granted an adjournment to 1st June 2018 when he will be sentenced.

This is the first time that an NHS trust has engaged in proceedings of this kind in respect of acts of contempt comprising various false statements of truth and interfering with the administration of justice by making false representations to medico-legal and care experts, the nature and extent of which cross the custody threshold.

At the various hearings in this action James Todd and Christian Du Cann appeared on behalf of the Trust. Sadie Crapper acted for the NHS Trust in the main proceedings.

See here for the full judgment and below for press coverage:

BBC News

Metro