By Michael Cross2021-03-02T15:50:00+00:00
Business owners who accused a senior solicitor with the Environment Agency of initiating a ‘vindictive’ prosecution and being willing to go to any length to gain a conviction whether fair or not have agreed to apologise and pay damages following a defamation action. Dylan Sadler, a prosecutor with the agency took action against the owners and operators of the Plants Galore garden centres in Devon after they posted a press release online following convictions for operating an unlicensed waste site.
Sadler sued, describing the allegations were false, defamatory and without foundation. In
Sadler v Joyner & Anor the High Court found for the claimant. Mr Richard Spearman QC ruled that the statement set out a litany of extremely serious complaints about the conduct of the EA in general and the claimant in particular and questioned his suitability to occupy his position as a solicitor.