Man convicted of blackmailing Katie Hopkins
Discussion
A man who contacted venues threatening to disrupt Katie Hopkins appearances in a sucessful attempt to have them cancelled has been convicted of 4 counts of blackmail by a jury in Southampton.
There must be hundreds of activists looking over their shoulders following this verdict.
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/26482256.southamp...
There must be hundreds of activists looking over their shoulders following this verdict.
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/26482256.southamp...
I've only looked at the linked article but based on that it looks good that the jury had the nerve to pick "her side" and convict. The article is a bit light on detail but hopefully others will see that whilst they have a right to speak up with opinions there are limits to what they can do in this respect.
Sounds like he's crossed a line from simply protesting to whatever constitutes blackmail.
I doubt it's opening any sort of floodgate as people will still be able to protest.
What you won't be able to do - and presumably what this conviction shows you couldn't do - is behave the way this man did.
I doubt it's opening any sort of floodgate as people will still be able to protest.
What you won't be able to do - and presumably what this conviction shows you couldn't do - is behave the way this man did.
Seems he was threatening the livelihood of the venues rather than just the performances:
article said:
The prosecutor said Hutchings had told the venues: “If you think I will give up, you are very, very wrong. I will not stop until the evening is cancelled or your business is shut down.”
Hutchings also allegedly warned: “I will flyer outside your business, I will continue to post about your business in online groups – I swear that on my family’s life.”
...
Hutchings allegedly also told the venues that he had reported them for watering down their drinks and for not having properly carried out background checks on staff.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/25/venues-cancelled-katie-hopkins-shows-after-man-blackmailed-them-court-toldHutchings also allegedly warned: “I will flyer outside your business, I will continue to post about your business in online groups – I swear that on my family’s life.”
...
Hutchings allegedly also told the venues that he had reported them for watering down their drinks and for not having properly carried out background checks on staff.
Gareth79 said:
Seems he was threatening the livelihood of the venues rather than just the performances:
It's quite incredible the lengths some people will go to in their attempts to silence people who have different views to their own. This nutter lost his mind completely. article said:
The prosecutor said Hutchings had told the venues: If you think I will give up, you are very, very wrong. I will not stop until the evening is cancelled or your business is shut down.
Hutchings also allegedly warned: I will flyer outside your business, I will continue to post about your business in online groups I swear that on my family s life.
...
Hutchings allegedly also told the venues that he had reported them for watering down their drinks and for not having properly carried out background checks on staff.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/25/venues-cancelled-katie-hopkins-shows-after-man-blackmailed-them-court-toldHutchings also allegedly warned: I will flyer outside your business, I will continue to post about your business in online groups I swear that on my family s life.
...
Hutchings allegedly also told the venues that he had reported them for watering down their drinks and for not having properly carried out background checks on staff.
CMTMB said:
Gareth79 said:
Seems he was threatening the livelihood of the venues rather than just the performances:
It's quite incredible the lengths some people will go to in their attempts to silence people who have different views to their own. This nutter lost his mind completely. article said:
The prosecutor said Hutchings had told the venues: If you think I will give up, you are very, very wrong. I will not stop until the evening is cancelled or your business is shut down.
Hutchings also allegedly warned: I will flyer outside your business, I will continue to post about your business in online groups I swear that on my family s life.
...
Hutchings allegedly also told the venues that he had reported them for watering down their drinks and for not having properly carried out background checks on staff.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/25/venues-cancelled-katie-hopkins-shows-after-man-blackmailed-them-court-toldHutchings also allegedly warned: I will flyer outside your business, I will continue to post about your business in online groups I swear that on my family s life.
...
Hutchings allegedly also told the venues that he had reported them for watering down their drinks and for not having properly carried out background checks on staff.
If people couldn't express the "wrong" view then we would still be locking people up for simply being gay.
CMTMB said:
It's quite incredible the lengths some people will go to in their attempts to silence people who have different views to their own. This nutter lost his mind completely.
Pretty much.Protest yes. That crap? Nope. I thought blackmail could attract quite a hefty sentence but I have absolutely no idea what's likely here.
butchstewie said:
Sounds like he's crossed a line from simply protesting to whatever constitutes blackmail.
I doubt it's opening any sort of floodgate as people will still be able to protest.
What you won't be able to do - and presumably what this conviction shows you couldn't do - is behave the way this man did.
You can contact the venue disagreeing with them hosting a show, what you cannot do is threaten consequences if they refuse.I doubt it's opening any sort of floodgate as people will still be able to protest.
What you won't be able to do - and presumably what this conviction shows you couldn't do - is behave the way this man did.
Consequences have actions.
butchstewie said:
Vanden Saab said:
You can contact the venue disagreeing with them hosting a show, what you cannot do is threaten consequences if they refuse.
Consequences have actions.
Exactly right.Consequences have actions.
f
k around and find out leaps to mind.Anyone know what the sentencing range is likely to be?
JuanCarlosFandango said:
Didn't some venues actually cancel these events too? Usually blamed on woke councils and police, but maybe there was a bit more to it.
I would imagine there's some detail that may come out that will make it a little clearer what the blackmail was.If you think about it most protest is basically "if you do X we will do Y to try to dissuade you" - now I'm clearly not a lawyer but there must have been a specific threat or something about his behaviour that went above and beyond that and constituted blackmail.
"that's a nice frog-faced fascist harpy you have there... It would be a shame if something HAPPENED to it..."
I think she's a horrible st weasel who is only out for herself, but attempts to silence speech are a terrible thing and have no place in a civilised society. I see no difference between this guy and someone who threatens people for drawing pictures of big Mo. It's a dhead deciding he's moral arbiter.
Maybe he should just have walked in to the event and said "without our protection and generosity you'd quite literally be cooked", that's the standard way to slide violent threats under the table isn't it?
I think she's a horrible s
t weasel who is only out for herself, but attempts to silence speech are a terrible thing and have no place in a civilised society. I see no difference between this guy and someone who threatens people for drawing pictures of big Mo. It's a dhead deciding he's moral arbiter. Maybe he should just have walked in to the event and said "without our protection and generosity you'd quite literally be cooked", that's the standard way to slide violent threats under the table isn't it?
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