Tattle Life: damages of £300k for harassment, misuse of private information, breach of data protection rights and defamation set aside

The King’s Bench Division of the Northern Ireland High Court has dismissed the proceedings in Neil & Donna Sands v Sebastian Bond & Ors [2026] NIKB 20 (“Tattle Life”). In 2023 the plaintiffs brought a claim for harassment, misuse of private information, breach of data protection rights and defamation arising from posts on Tattle Life. They obtained judgment in default, damages of £300,000, an injunction, indemnity costs and a worldwide freezing order for £1.8m.

Mr Justice Humphreys found that the claim should not have been brought against Persons Unknown and Norwich Pharmacal relief should not have been granted when the identity and address of Mr Bond were known to the plaintiffs, yet not disclosed to the court.

In setting aside the order for substituted service of the writ, declaring that it had not been served and refusing the plaintiffs’ application to deem service good, the court recorded that it had been “misled” by the plaintiffs’ “manifold material non-disclosures” which were “egregious, repeated and carried on for a period of two years across an array of ex parte applications” and by which they had secured “substantial litigation advantage”.

In addition, the court found that the order for substituted service of the writ and statement of claim by email had not been complied with in circumstances where the plaintiffs had sought to effect service by a Mimecast link, rather than attaching the documents to an email. The court was not informed of the fact that the link had not been accessed before entering judgment in default against the defendants, assessing damages, granting a worldwide freezing order, Bankers Trust order and further Norwich Pharmacal orders.

The judgment and summary are available here.

David Mitchell (led by Tony McGleenan KC) acted for the successful defendants, instructed by Mills Selig and RPC.