Billionaire McGill's bus tycoons bankrupt blogger over 'gangster' claims
Former Rangers directors Sandy and James Easdale were awarded £200,000 each at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in May last year against Paul Hendry, who falsely accused them of being involved in organised crime.
Two billionaire bus tycoons have bankrupted a blogger who falsely accused them of being involved in organised crime.
Former Rangers directors Sandy Easdale, 56, and brother James, 53, were awarded £200,000 each at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in May last year against Paul Hendry.
But none of the £400,000 compensation has so far been paid to the Easdales, who own McGill’s Buses of Greenock.
That led the brothers to last week raise the action against Hendry at Hastings County Court in Sussex to recover the six figure sum plus interest.
At a brief hearing on Monday, the bankruptcy order was granted by a judge. Hendry, who suffers from ill health and is housebound, did not attend or contest the bankruptcy.
The order has since been passed to the Official Receiver, who has the power in England to sell any of his assets to pay the compensation award.
This could include Hendry’s home in Eastbourne, Sussex. The 60-year-old, who did not have legal representation at the bankruptcy hearing, previously admitted being on benefits and in arrears with his mortgage.
Hendry, who uses the pseudonym Art Hostage, called the Easdales "gangsters" in posts on social media in March last year. The brothers raised the damages action against Hendry at the Court of Session in Edinburgh two months later.
Hendry was ordered to take down posts and videos carrying the derogatory claims and not repeat them. He was summoned back to court after he repeated the allegations on social media in November and December.
At a hearing in February, he was found guilty of contempt of court by Lord Braid, who had issued the original ban and damages award. Hendry appeared via a video link and represented himself. He apologised to the brothers.
Lord Braid deferred sentence on Hendry for six months. He warned the blogger if he didn’t comply with the court order preventing him from repeating the allegations he could expect a custodial sentence.
The Easdale’s adviser, Jack Irvine said: "This sends out a message to those deranged fantasists who would use the internet to lie and damage reputations and to cause distress to innocent families.
"We will pursue these types of people to the ends of the earth. You have been warned." It was the second time in less than a year Hendry has found himself in court over his crime blogs.
In August, he was found guilty of harassment at Wirral Magistrates Court in Merseyside, by using social media to wrongly accuse a local man of being a "drug and gun lord".
Hendry was fined £250 and ordered to pay compensation. Hendry declined to comment last week when contacted by the Sunday Mail.
