Chris Packham Gets Tommied

After winning his legal battle against Country Squire magazine’s editor, fantasist, shyster, abuse peddler and con artist Dominic Wightman, this blog warned naturalist Chris Packham “in his moment of victory [he] cannot rest: he has to make sure Wightman pays up … This is, after all, someone who has previously been declared bankrupt”. But it was already too late.

Dominic Wightman (photo (c) Bob Todd)

The BBC had reported the news of Packham’s victory on May 25, but those involved would have known the outcome before then. Wightman, whose previous bankruptcy was initiated by a creditor, had, by the time his defeat became public knowledge, already followed the example of Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, and declared himself bankrupt.

Lennon had done his deed in order to avoid paying up for another libel loss, in his case an action brought on behalf of Jamal Hijazi, a young Syrian refugee about whom Lennon had made a number of highly imaginative - and defamatory - claims. The Great Man then made matters worse for himself by not attending a hearing to be examined about his finances.

That meant Lennon was summoned to attend the High Court on pain of arrest for contempt (again). But Wightman has no problem with following in the former’s footsteps. Unless Packham’s lawyers had already moved to seize the loser’s assets, such as they be, they will have trouble getting paid, and their client will as a result be seriously out of pocket.

So let’s have a look at that bankruptcy notice: it describes him as “Dominic Martin Wightman, Currently not working [no change there, then], of 4 Swan Yard, High Street, Honiton, Devon, EX14 1LN, formerly of 58 Keyberry Road, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 1BX, formerly of New Wells, North Back Lane, Terrington, North Yorkshire, YO60 6NS”. Moves around a bit, doesn’t he?

It also confirms that Wightman has initiated the bankruptcy process himself - it is a debtor’s, and not a creditor’s, petition - and that he started the ball rolling on May 23, when he would have known the result of that lawsuit, but before the news was made public. He’s done a Tommy. For Packham and his lawyers, if they want to get paid, it’s going to be a long slog.

If not a fruitless one: Lennon’s loss was confirmed in June 2021, but attempts to prove that he was concealing assets merely to avoid paying up had only got as far as an examination hearing by the following May - the one where Lennon failed to turn up. Wightman may not have anything significant in the way of assets - so what do the winners do then? What can they do?

Country Squire magazine continues to publish material - so who is in charge there? If it’s not Wightman’s asset, has it changed ownership or control recently? Staggeringly, the mag has told its readers “The defendants are yet to discuss the implications of an appeal with their legal advisers”. Wightman is one of those defendants. He’s not going to appeal any time soon.

Nor is any legal advisor worth their reputation going to have anything to do with him. Nor should any credence be given to Wightman playing the victim: “the Editor ‘had been the victim of inappropriate and offensive communications (including highly distressing trolling)’”. Accuse someone else of doing what is known to be your speciality. Away with you, Dom.

Forget the distraction tactics: Chris Packham just got Tommied. That is all.

Enjoy your visit to Zelo Street? You can help this truly independent blog carry on talking truth to power, while retaining its sense of humour, by becoming a Patron on Patreon at

https://www.patreon.com/Timfenton