Richard Hall is firmly convinced that the attack during Ariana Grande’s concert in Manchester – now seven years ago – never happened. According to the conspiracy theorist, they were all actors who staged the horrific scene at the request of the British government. And he also wanted to ‘prove’ that point by secretly filming one of the victims. He thought he would find a very healthy Eve Hibbert, but unfortunately it turns out she still needs a wheelchair to get around. That blatant violation of privacy has now returned – in the form of a lawsuit – like a boomerang in his face.
On May 22, 2017, terrorist Salman Abedi waited for the end of the pop singer’s performance to blow himself up. 22 innocent people were killed and more than a thousand injured.
Among them was the then 14-year-old Eve and her father Martin. She suffered severe brain damage from the attack and is still in a wheelchair. He suffered a serious spinal injury.
False plant
But Hall doesn’t believe that. And he would prove that: by hiding a camera in a fake plant in their front garden, he would prove that Eve can indeed walk independently.
However, the young lady came out in her wheelchair. Immediately the end of his crazy hypothesis, you would think? So no. “Daughter and father must have apparently already been injured before the alleged attack took place. They weren’t even at that performance,” he insisted. However, camera images of the concert prove the opposite.
YouTube account deleted
Hall’s actions are far from innocent. His videos on YouTube reach an audience of millions and by selling books and DVDs he has also turned his conspiracy theories into a real business model.
The Hibberts are not the only ones who experienced problems. A BBC report detailed how Hall violated the privacy of several victims. He certainly feels the impact: his YouTube account has now been deleted and he is now also facing legal proceedings.
“We can do without this like a toothache”
Yesterday, Judge Richard Davison called Hall’s claims downright “absurd”. He turned the case into summary proceedings, so that a verdict would be reached more quickly and Hall would not be able to steal the show too much for his own benefit. The only question that remains is how much compensation will be awarded.
“I am all for freedom of expression, but that principle stops as soon as you call me an actor or think that Eve is not disabled,” her father Martin responds. “He clearly benefits from the suffering of others. We already have enough to deal with, we can miss this comedy like a toothache.”
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