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Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Kitchen fitter sues customer for libel after being branded 'worst I have ever seen' and an 'absolute joke' in online review
A kitchen fitter is suing a customer for libel after they posted a scathing online review branding him the 'worst I have ever seen'. Joiner Benjamin Johnson has resorted to the High Court after Stephen Helm said he was an 'absolute joke' and told others to 'avoid' him. On a website for tradesman reviews, Mr Helm claimed Mr Johnson 'damaged everything' and said he was 'the worst fitter I have ever seen'. Mr Johnson, based in Preston, claims customers cancelled scheduled jobs after seeing the post – costing him £19,000. In early 2022 Mr Johnson's firm, Johnson's Joinery, was hired by Mr Helm to work on his kitchen. That April, the pair argued about the 'standard' of Mr Johnson's fitting, which resulted in him stopping, a preliminary hearing was told. Mr Helm and Mr Johnson then agreed a settlement. The homeowner uploaded a review of Johnson's Joinery the following month to a website allowing users to discuss nearby businesses. The post, left online for 17 months, read: '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... Lazy, dirty and dangerous health concerns regarding his work... Ben Johnson [and father the plumber] are to be avoided at all costs. 'He refunded our deposit and admitted liability by doing that however wouldn't pay the extras to rectify and remove everything he did and doesn't care about the impact to our home. 'Avoid, avoid, avoid... 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.' Mr Helm is arguing he was sharing the 'truth and honest opinion'. He is also seeking damages for breach of contract. Richard Spearman KC, who dealt with the preliminary hearing, said: 'Looking at the review in the round, it seems to me that it plainly contains some statements of opinion and some statements of fact.' Mr Johnson said: 'I'm sick and tired of customers who think they can do what they want and think they can get away with it. 'I've lost two jobs that came up to about £19,000 because of this. 'I asked him [Mr Helm] to take it down and he said no, I had no choice but to take him to court to take it down.' The case continues.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Ex-boyfriend, 46, dodges jail after making solicitor's life 'living hell' with harassment campaign which included leaving her abusive voicemails and following her car
A solicitor was branded 'disgraceful' in a malicious online review and had her LinkedIn profile doctored by an ex-boyfriend who made her life a 'living hell' when she dumped him, a court heard. Sara Gilak said Richard Ponniah tried to 'emotionally and professionally' break her during an unrelenting seven-week campaign of abuse. A court heard the 46-year-old tried to smear Ms Gilak's reputation by writing a fake negative review about her conduct on her employers' Trustpilot page which led to Ms Gilak being suspended and her career placed in jeopardy. Prosecutor Tom Wright said Ponniah also changed the family law specialist's LinkedIn profile photo to one of her making an 'offensive and rude' gesture and edited her page to state 'I pride myself on putting men down.' The business development manager launched the harassment campaign in April last year after Ms Gilak ended the relationship after discovering Ponniah was using dating apps. A judge was told that Ponniah's 'disgraceful' conduct included him sending her abusive voicemails and messages, following her vehicle on his electric skateboard and shouting outside the property they once shared while shouting 'whore' in view of the neighbours. Mr Wright said Ms Gilak had to block him by the end of April because of the 'constant barrage of messaging' but his harassment, which also included pressing her buzzer continually for 45 minutes, continued. Bournemouth Crown Court heard the victim had to take some time off work for compassionate leave following the death of her brother. But when she returned to the office in early June, she was suspended over the one-star Trustpilot review which stated she was guilty of 'disgusting behaviour from a family solicitor'. Mr Wright said that when the solicitor confronted Ponniah about the review he threatened to share videos of her. In a victim impact statement read out, Ms Gilak described the 'significant harm and distress' he had caused. She said: 'I was finding it hard to function due to the never-ending abuse and hounding, especially at a time I lost my brother. I was emotionally vulnerable but this was of no concern to Richard. 'His conduct took over the grief of losing my brother. I was living in constant fear as I knew he was out of control. 'I was extremely embarrassed on the occasions he shouted outside my window, neighbours and shopkeepers were witnesses.' She described the incident where he rang the buzzer continuously for 45 minutes as 'horrendous' and said she felt trapped. With his escalation to damage her career she said he was 'doing everything to emotionally and professionally break me'. Ms Gilak added: 'I am more nervous and anxious, I'm currently receiving counselling and attempting to move forward. 'It's hard to comprehend the lengths he went to and had I not called the police I think he would have continued.' Ponniah's own lawyer, Charles Gabb, called his behaviour 'disgraceful.' He said Ponniah 'lashed out' because emotions came to the surface and he was unable to deal with it in a responsible manner. He said: 'That's no excuse. For a grown man in his mid-40s to behave like that was disgraceful and I hope he hangs his head in shame. 'He needs to take a very long, hard look in the mirror.' Ponniah, of Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to one charge of harassment. Sentencing him last Friday, Judge Susan Evans said: 'Your efforts to threaten her career were highly embarrassing for her and stressful beyond belief. 'You used controlling and coercive behaviour at a time when her brother died and she was distressed already, you have made it far worse.' She added that he had been 'dismissive and rude' to a probation officer when they had asked questions to put together a pre-sentence report. But said she was 'just persuaded' not to send him to prison. Ponniah was given a 12-week sentence suspended for 15 months and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and a three-month alcohol abstinence requirement. Judge Evans warned him: 'I am not going to give you any second chances, if you breach that you will be going to prison.' She also made an indefinite restraining order to protect Ms Gilak.
