Wildcat Haven Enterprises CIC is dissolved
Regular readers will recall the defamation case brought against me in 2017 by Wildcat Haven Enterprises CIC (WHE) seeking damages of £750,000.
The latest news for those of you who kindly contributed to my crowdfunder is that WHE has now been dissolved following liquidation with debts of £89,272. This includes £60,000 owed to me in costs awarded by the Court.
The only asset that was realised was the 4ha of land from which WHE sold souvenir plots. It was sold to Scottish Highlands Ltd., a company controlled by Douglas Wilson and Laura Bevis, for £12,500. Scottish Highland Ltd took over the ownership of the wider Patna Green site from Highland Titles in May 2024. I will be blogging further on the demise of Highland Titles and where this leaves the thousands of souvenir plot holders.
I can reveal that the defamation case was bankrolled by Highland Titles with its Director, Douglas Wilson putting up a £110,000 bond of caution ordered by the Court of Session. This was admitted in Court by Paul O’Donoghue, a Director of WHE who was representing the company in the proceedings.
The case cost me £200,915 and I raised just under £170,000 from a crowdfunder. Legal cost included £76,740 for KC, £77,906 for the instructing solicitor and £26,779 for court solicitors. Thus legal costs made up bulk of costs – £181,426.
Other costs include court auditor (£9402), Law Cost Accountant (£6525) and witness expenses of 5 days loss of earnings due to court delays (£2520) plus miscellaneous costs including court fees and other expenses.
In the end I won the case. I was awarded £170,000 in expenses with actual expenses marked down but made up by the successful application of various statutory uplifts.
The bond of caution covered £110,000 of this leaving £60,000 still owing from the pursuer, Wildcat Haven Enterprises CIC
The upshot of all of this is that I am not going to get my £60,000 and those who kindly contributed to my crowdfunder will receive no further refund beyond the partial one issued in 2022.
The moral of this tale?
- try to avoid being sued because it costs you even if you win.
- legal actions only ever end up providing work for lawyers.
- but do not settle if you can afford not to and believe you are in the right. Had I settled, I would have been sequestrated as I had very little by way of assets (and have never owned property precisely because of the risk of being sued). Sequestration would have meant vacating my seat in the Scottish Parliament due to provisions in the Scotland Act.
- Don’t have anything to do with Paul and Emily O’Donoghue, Peter Bevis, Douglas Wilson, Emily Bevis, Highland Titles Ltd, Scottish Highlands Ltd., Highland Titles OÜ or any businesses associated with them.
What a bunch of crooks.
Landlords are also adept at dragging tenants through the courts and forcing them to spend 6 figure sums to defend themselves.
Scotgov follows the same approach
Just make sure that we all know when you need backup. Our nation is wallowing in sh*t..it’s all around us. And now our land is being used by foreign nations to attack their enemies….this all devolved to the foreign english. ( a clever ploy by foreign england that means we are forbidden to control anything important). ……So land usage…Our land… being abused again by foreigners. The Scottish. government..?..zzzzzzzzzz… The Scottish nation relying on one warrior to fight for Scotland’s land. Shame on Holyrood.
Thank you for your steadfast courage.
Heard what God said about Scotland? When he heard all the complaints that Scotland had been given too much..beautiful land wonderful resources and brilliant people..He thought for a moment and then said with a grin…..’Ah but wait till you see the neighbours I gave them….’
What a great entry Catherine
Andy- so wrong you did not get compensation you deserve
Thanksfor the tremendous work you do
Thanks Andy. It will have been a stressful difficult time for you. Appreciate no money back. That’s fine. It’s done it’s work. I hope you’re not out of pocket.
We need some legal changes to prevent such miss use of the law.
Thanks. There are plans to deal with much of this through a new law on SLAPPs https://consult.gov.scot/justice/strategic-lawsuits-against-public-participation/
When the wealthy can threaten those who dare to criticise them with impoverishment, loss of home, loss of employment and untold stress and axiety, on a mere whim, then hide from their obligation to make good a fraction of the damage they have caused, something is very wrong with our legal system.
The fancy lawyer and fancy corporate ownership structures have long been the tools of cowardly social parasites who never miss an opportunity for a hand-out, state subsidy, loop-hole, benefit claim or any other kind of lazy, unearned income.
In my opinion.