A right-wing social media character and failed Calgary mayoral candidate defamed and harassed an Alberta Well being Providers public well being inspector, an Alberta choose has dominated.
Now Kevin J. Johnston faces paying $650,000 in damages to Public Well being Inspector Sarah Nunn and a restraining order from AHS is now everlasting, with some modifications.
The lawsuit introduced by Nunn and the county well being care supplier stems again to Johnston’s repeated threats in opposition to well being inspectors.
The long run mayor of Calgary and Mississauga has been arrested a number of instances for violating pandemic-related public well being orders and a short lived restraining order granted to AHS.
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In a call dated April 12, Decide Colin Feasby discovered that the mixture of Johnston’s on-line broadcasts, weblog posts and media feedback that have been “printed and clearly directed at Nunn” was defamatory.
“Mr. Johnston has engaged in rants on his present about Ms. Nunn. His statements about Ms. Nunn was accompanied by images of Ms. Nunn and her household that he obtained from her unlocked social media accounts,” Feasby wrote.
“His statements belittled Ms. Nunn and her husband and have been stuffed with pejorative descriptions.”
“Let me clearly state that Mr. Johnston’s statements about Ms. Nunn is each unfaithful and unfair. The pictures that Mr. Johnston has harvested from her social media portrays an individual who enjoys her life together with her husband, household and pals. Nothing concerning the pictures affords even an iota of help for the contempt Mr. Johnston on ms. Nunn did not unpack.”
The defamation case was served on Johnston in June 2021 whereas he was within the Calgary Remand Centre, the place he was being held for violating the earlier restraining order filed by AHS.
He was unable to file a protection with the courts, so was decided to have a default judgment.
![Click to play video: 'Former Calgary mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston arrested while trying to cross US-Canada border on foot'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/uqb6z2j3nf-z5vmsiiiuw/JOHNSTON.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
Johnston emailed the courtroom to complain that the defamation go well with was a SLAPP go well with, a strategic lawsuit in opposition to public participation.
Acknowledging that Johnston didn’t file a protection, Feasby stated the lawsuit introduced by AHS and Nunn is “not an abuse of course of.”
“As is obvious from the sampling of Mr. Johnston’s feedback … his assaults on Ms. Nunn have been deeply private and never acceptable public discourse,” the choose wrote.
“Mrs. Nunn was a personal determine – she was not a politician or a member of the AHS management group – who was reluctantly recruited by Mr. Johnston has been positioned within the public highlight.”
Learn extra:
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Feasby additionally famous that Johnston’s marketing campaign for mayor didn’t give him “license to make Ms. Nunn and her household the topic of public ridicule.”
The Courtroom of King’s Bench choose discovered AHS couldn’t sue for defamation resulting from its function as a authorities company, however did make the earlier restraining order everlasting with some modifications.
Johnston is restricted from coming inside 50 meters of hospitals and AHS clinics, and 25 meters from the entrances of all different AHS amenities.
Regardless of Nunn awarding $650,000 in damages – $300,000 for defamation, $100,000 for harassment and $250,000 for aggravated damages – Feasby doubted Johnston might pay.
“Mr. Johnston seems to haven’t any monetary assets and is already topic to a multi-million greenback award for defamation damages in Ontario that he has not paid,” the choose wrote. “The $650,000 basically and aggravated damages that awarded to Ms. Nunn within the current case is unlikely to be paid.
“Mr. Johnston is unrepentant, and I’ve no confidence that the damages award will act as any type of disincentive for him to proceed to defame and harass Ms. Nunn.”
Feasby determined the everlasting restraining order was a part of the treatment to Nunn to stop Johnston from persevering with to defame and harass her.
Johnston should additionally pay all of Nunn’s authorized charges.
![Click to play video: 'Mississauga website operator charged with hate crimes'](https://i1.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/747/374/GTNH07242017_HateCrime_848x480_1007961667631.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
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