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Sunday 27 March 2022

Chris Packham - A Word In Your Ear

Defamation lawsuits are expensive. For most people, they are too expensive, not just to defend against, but to initiate. A great deal of defamatory material therefore goes uncontested. But even for those who can afford to go to law, there is a further potential problem: the danger that those sued may not have the means to pay up, or that their assets prove difficult to locate. Or, whisper it quietly, they prove difficult to locate, too.

Chris Packham

This occasional hazard came to mind when considering the action launched recently by naturalist and presenter Chris Packham, over a series of allegations published by an online “magazine”. Because the online “magazine” is called Country Squire, and its editor is none other than Dominic Wightman, a name maybe familiar to Zelo Street regulars.

Packham’s lawsuit is already at the stage of being not only serious, but seriously expensive: earlier this month at a “meanings hearing”, the Judge handed down his ruling on “nine articles published in ‘Country Squire Magazine,’ two videos published on YouTube and eight tweets containing text and hyperlinks to the articles or videos”.

As Inforrm’s Blog notes, “Overall, the meaning ascribed to each of the publications is a variation on the accusation that the claimant dishonestly raised funds from the public by stating that tigers had been rescued from a circus where they had been mistreated, whereas in fact, the claimant knew that the tigers had been well-treated and were donated to the circus … Each of the meanings were found to be defamatory”.

So “the matter will proceed to trial”. At this point, Packham may have been pleased with the result. But I have news for him: Dominic Wightman is not just the publisher of an online “magazine”. He is a notorious con man, discharged bankrupt, fantasist, and bad payer who has left a string of unpaid debts in his wake. His marks have included Tory MPs (note use of the plural), as well as supposedly reputable journalists.


Wightman conned technophobe then-MP Patrick Mercer. Mercer is no longer an MP. He is also believed to be behind “The Traitors’ Chart”, which appeared in Country Squire, and then in modified form became the basis of “Hijacked Labour”, published very briefly by the Murdoch Sun, before being pulled, apparently after the paper’s lawyers intervened. More predictably, Country Squire later conned pro-am motormouth Katie Hopkins.

Country Squire claimed in its defence that it had merely received a “press release” about the “Traitors’ Chart”. After that “meanings hearing”, Wightman was characteristically full of himself: “happy to robustly defend the truth of our articles and tweets … long-term journalistic investigation … standing on a mountain of facts”. Of course he is.

But the thread that runs through Wightman’s backstory - alongside his abuse and harassment of anyone who has him rumbled - is the fantasist bluster, the pretence of authority, and what is consistently reported as a trail of unpaid debts. This should concern Chris Packham and his lawyers. It should also concern whoever has been instructed to act for Wightman, his two co-defendants, and whoever is acting for them.

Meanwhile, Wightman has begun a crowdfunder called the “Reptile Fund”. He probably thinks this title makes him a dead clever intelligence and security expert. As opposed to someone who once saw Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. That’s how close he gets to reality.


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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Smears and lies are routine actions for ranting righties and paranoids.

For confirmation, see the Labour Party internal report which exposed the treachery and racism of such while Jeremy Corbyn was leader.

Which treachery led directly to installation of Starmer, the meff with The Most Insincere Face In Politics, who looks like he doesn't even believe his own words.

One reason why British politics and its apologists are an infectious cesspit of corruption, racists and wilful ignorance.

Wightman is merely an infected bearer of the plague germs in Airstrip One. There are plenty of others.

Anonymous said...

Wightman is a lifelong malignant narcissist. His delusion is that he will successfully defend the case against him and pocket enough cash to coast along on until his next target appears.

WHEN he loses, he will collapse like a popped balloon. At which point he will scarper to the in-laws in Monegas until the dust settles.

Anonymous said...

Inevitably, grandstanding Dominic Whiteman ignominiously lost.

The verdict was privately made known to the defendants on May 23rd 2023, and released to the public on May 25th.

On May 23rd Wightman applied for a voluntary bankruptcy in order to cheat Chris Packham of the sum awarded and avoid paying any legal costs to Packham's lawyers and his own. He does that sort of thing; he gloated about his 'cleverness' here:
https://countrysquire.co.uk/2023/06/05/checkmate/

For those familiar with the colossus of Wightman's ego, this is standard Wightman. He compliments himself all the time.

However, he shot himself in the foot with this one. He gave 3 false addresses to the Official Receiver, the first of which was immediately recognised by a vigilant observer as being the home of Wightman's old chum and co-founder of the Country Squire blog, Jamie Foster. Foster moved to this address after losing his home through his own bankruptcy.

Lying to the Official Receiver is bankruptcy fraud, and carries up to 7 years' imprisonment as well as compliance with bankruptcy restrictions for up to 15 years. Both parties are culpable - Foster and Wightman.

Vigilant observer then checked the 2 other addresses. The second address does not fully exist but is linked to a site under development at 58 Keyberry Road owned by 'Ventris Holdings':
https://suite.endole.co.uk/insight/people/29662585-ms-nitya-hobbs
Nitya Hobbs is coincidentally a trustee of 'Devon Heritage Trust', a seemingly dormant charity set up by Dominic Wightman:
https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5138182/trustees

The third address is a holiday rental property in York used by Wightman when settling his son in at Ampleforth. It was never a home address, as Wightman lives in Cornwall. Wightman very recently removed his son from Ampleforth in something of a hurry so is unlikely to use this holiday let again.

Vigilant observer contacted the Official Receiver with this information and proofs for verification. The OR is now aware of Wightman's actual address and has updated the file to that effect.