Family Wins £75,000 After False ‘Dining and Dashing’ Claim by Derbyshire Pub
A family has bagged a juicy £75,000 in damages after being wrongly slammed for dining and dashing at a Derbyshire pub. The Horse and Jockey in Tideswell sparked outrage last year by blasting CCTV footage on Facebook, accusing the innocent family of skipping their £150 bill.
Pub’s Blunder Sparks Big Drama
The saga began when the brewery shared CCTV images naming the family as no-payers. However, it later surfaced that a staff member had cocked up the payment process at the till. The mix-up snowballed into a full-blown public shaming, causing serious distress for those involved.
Court Slams False Accusations
Barrister Peter Girvan slammed the pub’s claims in court, calling the allegations “serious and defamatory” and “entirely false.” He told the judge the family was unjustly branded as criminals who “deliberately absconded” without paying.
“The articles contained serious and defamatory accusations that the plaintiffs had engaged in dishonest and criminal conduct by deliberately absconding without settling a bill of approximately £150. The allegations were entirely false.”
Following legal action, the Horse and Jockey agreed to cough up £75,000 plus legal costs and issued a public apology.
Pub Issues Formal Apology
“We deeply regret the error and the distress caused to the family involved. We have reviewed our procedures to ensure this does not happen again.”
A Warning to Businesses: Check Before You Accuse
This messy case serves as a glaring warning for pubs and businesses alike. Legal experts say rushing to publicly shame customers without proof risks serious reputation damage and hefty lawsuits.
Publishing accusations on social media without fact-checking can backfire badly – just ask the Horse and Jockey.
