Latest news with #BenjaminJohnson
Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- Times
Kitchen fitter branded ‘worst ever seen' sues for defamation
A kitchen fitter is claiming nearly £20,000 in damages after a homeowner posted a scathing online review that described his work as the 'worst I have ever seen'. In a move that could have a lasting impact on the building trade, Benjamin Johnson has gone before a High Court judge to bring a defamation claim against his former client. After a judge granted permission for the claim to proceed, Johnson said he was suing because he was 'sick and tired' of customers who 'can do what they want and think they can get away with it'. The dispute centres on comments by Stephen Helm, the disgruntled homeowner, who publicly stated that Johnson was an 'absolute joke' and warned others to 'avoid' using him. On a website for reviews of tradesmen, Helm claimed that Johnson 'damaged everything', adding that he was 'the worst fitter I have ever seen'. Johnson, who is based in Preston, told the court that the review remained online for more than 17 months and that as a result customers cancelled jobs, which left him £19,000 out of pocket. The dispute broke out after Helm hired the fitter in 2022 to carry out work on his kitchen. The preliminary hearing in the High Court was told that the two then rowed about the standard of Johnson's work and he stopped the job. As a result, Helm and Johnson agreed a financial settlement but the next month the homeowner posted a review of Johnson's Joinery onto a website for comments on local businesses. • No mate of mine: the perils of reviewing a handyman Helm's review said: 'The worse [sic] fitter I have ever seen, ruined everything he touched, didn't do a full day. Damaged everything and can't draw a straight line. Cut into the units which didn't need touching. Plasterboarded the walls and we lost 10cm for no reason.' In addition, Helm described the fitter as 'lazy' and claimed that there were 'dangerous health concerns regarding his work as he pushed pipes into the waste pipe for washing machine and dishwasher and sealed with silicone which backed up waste from toilet into the machines'. He advised readers of the review site to 'avoid avoid avoid', saying that Johnson was an 'absolute joke, embarrassing and when questioned for consumer rights claim said his feelings were hurt as we were questioning his character. Should not be in business so avoid'. Johnson launched court proceedings in 2023 and in response to the claim, Helm has argued that he was sharing the 'truth and honest opinion'. If Helm can prove that his criticism of the fitter was true and that he honestly believes his comments were accurate, Johnson's defamation claim will fail. Helm has also launched a counterclaim seeking damages for breach of contract in respect to the works carried out. Judge Spearman ruled that the wording of the review 'plainly contains some statements of opinion and some statements of fact' as he allowed the claim to proceed to a full trial.
Sharjah 24
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Sharjah 24
Newcastle to third place in Premier League with win over Ipswich
Ipswich reduced to 10 men Ipswich Town's troubles began in the 37th minute when defender Benjamin Johnson received a second yellow card and was sent off, leaving the visitors a man down for the remainder of the match. Isak opens the scoring from the spot Newcastle broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time with a penalty converted by Swedish striker Alexander Isak, who now sits second in the league's scoring charts—one goal ahead of Erling Haaland and six behind top scorer Mohamed Salah. Burn and Osula seal the win Defender Dan Burn extended Newcastle's lead with a header in the 56th minute from a Kieran Trippier cross, while Danish substitute William Osula made it 3-0 with a powerful header from a Trippier corner, rounding off the Magpies' dominant performance. League standings and implications With the win, Newcastle moved up to 62 points—just one behind Manchester City and two ahead of Nottingham Forest, whose match was postponed due to FA Cup duties. Meanwhile, relegated Ipswich Town remain stuck at 21 points, 15 behind 17th-placed West Ham United.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Cherokee Nation donates $100,000 to U.S. Marshals Museum
FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The Cherokee Nation donates $100,000 to the United States Marshals Museum to help open the 'Tragedy at Goingsnake Theater' exhibit. According to a press release, the 'Tragedy at Goingsnake Theater' will be located inside the Frontier Marshals Gallery and will tell the story of the Goingsnake Tragedy of 1872, the deadliest day in U.S. Marshals Service history. 'We are honored to partner with our friends at Cherokee Nation to ensure that the events of 1872 are accurately and authentically depicted,' said president and CEO of the U.S. Marshals Museum Benjamin Johnson. 'This is a complicated and important story to tell as we look to inspire new generations to understand our shared past.' US Marshals' Operation April Fools leads to 21 arrests of violent offenders in River Valley The release says historians from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Marshals Museum and Cherokee Nation, collaborated on this project to remember the many who were wounded and the 11 people killed in the fatal shooting at the trial of Zeke Proctor, a Cherokee man accused of shooting a couple resulting in the death of the wife, Polly Beck, a Cherokee woman. Proctor was arrested and tried by Cherokee law enforcement for the wounding of Jim Kesterson and the killing of Beck. The victims' families turned to the U.S. courts in an attempt to have Proctor charged with assault. Deputy U.S. Marshals went to arrest Proctor if he was acquitted, but before the trial reached a verdict, shots were fired, leading to the deaths of 11 people, including three Cherokee citizens and eight posse members. Several others were wounded. More information can be found on the United States Marshals Museum's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
