Manchester Arena bombing survivors win £45k from conspiracy theorist who called it a hoax

A father and daughter left with life changing injuries after the Manchester Arena attack have been awarded £45,000 in damages a man who claimed the incident was a hoax.

Richard Hall, a former television producer and conspiracy theorist, claimed the incident was a hoax, explaining that the bombing was staged and that no one was wounded or killed. 

Martin Hibbert and his daughter Eve Hibbert, who were severely injured in the attack, have since received a payout in what Martin says “was about a father protecting his daughter”, BBC reports. 

The attack which occurred at an Ariana Grande concert on May 22nd 2017 killed 22 people and left Martin and Eve Hibbert severely injured.

Mr Hibbert suffered 22 shrapnel wounds in the attack and was left paralysed from the waist down. Eve, who was 14 at the time, had severe brain damage and as a result, was left needing full-time care throughout her life. 

Matthew Hibbert (via YouTube)

Following the attack, Hall produced videos, a film and a book that claimed the attack was a state-orchestrated set-up and “millions of people have bought a lie”.

The ex-producer alleged that the Hibberts were “crisis actors” participating in a fabricated event.

Hall told the court that his actions, including filming Eve outside the family home, were in the public interest as a journalist.

The Hibberts brought a harassment case against Richard Hall, who claims that “there was no bomb” in several videos, a film and a book he produced. 

Mr Hibbert said he was forced to take action against the harassment: “It was never about the money. It was about a father protecting his daughter.”

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In a judgement last month, Justice Karen Steyn ruled that the Hibberts had won their harassment claim, but has not come to a verdict on the data protection claim at this stage. 

She described Hall’s behaviour as a “negligent, indeed reckless, abuse of media freedom.”

Police previously confirmed that over 260 people were injured, with hundreds more left with “deep psychological injuries”.

Despite this, Hall has alleged that several of those who died are living abroad or were dead before the attack, professing that no one was “genuinely injured” by the bombing. 

Richard Hall (via YouTube)

Justice Karen Steyn added that the defendant used “the flimsiest of analytical techniques” to dismiss “the obvious, tragic reality to which so many ordinary people have attested”. 

She said Hall’s account was “preposterous and untrue,” and it dismissed “the obvious, tragic reality to which so many ordinary people have attested.”

She also imposed an injunction on Hall, aimed at stopping him from harassing the Hibberts in future, and ordered him to pay 90 per cent of the Hibberts’ legal costs, estimated at £260,000.

Mr Hibbert said Hall showed “no remorse,” claiming that the trial was unfair and continuing to insist the bombing didn’t happen as he left court.

Outside court, Martin explained that his goal was never monetary compensation, expressing “What this was about was bringing him down in public, in front of his own followers”. 

He said he took Hall to court “for my mum, my neurosurgeon that saved my life, all the beautiful people at Salford Royal, all the amazing people at Manchester Children’s Hospital that looked after Eve for nearly 12 months because she was injured that bad.”

Martin added: “He’s not even allowed to utter our names now or he’s in contempt of court, so we’ve got that now. We can live in peace.”

Outside court, Martin Hibbert stated that his goal was never monetary compensation, expressing “What this was about was bringing him down in public, in front of his own followers”. 

He described the ruling as a “comprehensive victory”.

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