Sam Horner took pal to TV courtroom after discovering show coughs up damages, according to report
It’s been revealed two friends apparently concocted a fake legal claim to trick ITV’s Judge Rinder into coughing up £5,000 in damages. A spokeswoman for ITV has told Legal Cheek the channel may now be approaching the police over the matter.
Sam Horner appeared on the daytime programme to make a claim relating to a £6,100 office refurbishment against his pal, Paul Brewster. Horner demanded damages and purportedly “created a fake paper trail of invoices and final demands”, according to The Sun.
Interestingly, the report suggests that Leeds plasterer Horner invented the legal quarrel after discovering “producers [at] ITV pay out the cash — not the defendants.”
The newspaper further claims to have seen text messages between the duo arranging the ploy, which hit TV screens earlier this month. Horner, who was eventually awarded £5,000, said: “It was an Oscar-winning performance from start to finish. By the end Judge Rinder was utterly convinced. Me and Paul went on the piss to celebrate afterwards and have split the £5,000.”
ITV doesn’t seem to share Horner’s enthusiasm. A spokeswoman for the TV channel told Legal Cheek:
If they have defrauded us we will take this up with police.
However, Horner doesn’t appear too concerned about any potential legal ramifications for his actions. He said: “I haven’t done anything wrong. I was paid for entertainment and that’s exactly what I gave them. I was paid to act.”
Ruling in the case at the time, Judge Rinder — who is actually 2 Hare Court criminal barrister Robert Rinder — said:
It’s difficult to find a case where the applicant was more entitled to the full sum.
UPDATE: 11:55pm – Tuesday 26 September
Rinder has now responded to our story:
They are now subject to criminal investigation.
— Rob Rinder (@RobbieRinder) September 26, 2017
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