Neil and Donna Sands, an Irish couple, won a landmark £300,000 defamation case against the controversial website Tattle Life. They are now moving to the next stage of legal action to enforce the ruling.
Last December, the Sands were awarded damages. But it wasn’t until June 13 that the High Court in Northern Ireland lifted reporting restrictions and revealed the identity of Tattle Life’s founder and operator: Sebastian Bond.
Sebastian Bond has used several aliases, including Bastian Durward. He is also known as a vegan influencer behind the Instagram account “Nest and Glow,” which has 135,000 followers. His companies, Yuzu Zest Ltd (UK) and Kumquat Tree Ltd (Hong Kong), were named in the court ruling as involved in running the site.
The judge described Bond’s operation as “extreme cynicism.” He said it profited deliberately from the “misery” of others while hiding behind online anonymity.
Tattle Life calls itself a platform for commentary on public figures. But it has long been criticised for hosting anonymous attacks on influencers, entrepreneurs, and creators, often without evidence. The court heard that the Sands were targeted in a 45-page defamatory thread that stayed online for over four years. It was only removed in last month, two years after legal action began.
So, what does the ruling mean now?
View this post on Instagram
Alongside the £300,000 damages, the court granted an injunction preventing any further posts about the Sands. It also issued worldwide freezing orders to block access to money believed to be earned from the website. Currently, the amount needed to lift these freezing orders stands at over £1 million.
In total, the court has frozen up to £1.8 million, including legal costs and related expenses. This is understood to be the largest defamation award in Northern Ireland’s legal history.
So, what happens next?
@aoifegracemoore How Tattle Life got taken down. A quick recap, you can read more at The Journal website. Neil and Donna Sands have sued Tattle Life for £300k and finally unearthed the operator of the gossip website. #tattlelife #tattle
A case management review is set for June 26 at Belfast’s High Court. This hearing will focus on the next enforcement steps; tracking down more assets connected to Bond and his companies and ensuring the defendants meet their legal obligations to disclose information.
Legal experts warn that if Bond does not fully cooperate with court orders, he could face contempt of court charges. The Sands’ victory might also encourage other victims of online abuse to take legal action.
Neil Sands said after the ruling that their goal was to hold anonymous online operators accountable. It wasn’t just for their own case but for everyone affected by harmful online attacks. “We believe in free speech, but not consequence-free speech,” he said.
Their legal team described the case as a “global forensic investigation” that involved tracing assets across several countries.
Peter Barr, one of the Sands’ lawyers, said, “This judgment sends a clear message that online anonymity cannot shield unlawful behaviour.”
Tattle Life remains live and running, with the next case review scheduled for 26 June at Belfast’s High Court.
For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook.
