Conspiracy theorist fails to overturn arena ruling a second time
An author who claims that the Manchester Arena bombing was staged and did not kill anyone has been denied a second chance to challenge a ruling that his theory is "absurd and fantastical".
Richard Hall is being sued by bombing survivors Martin and Eve Hibbert for harassment, misuse of private information and data protection at the High Court.
Barrister Paul Oakley, for Mr Hall, told a hearing at the High Court in London: "I'm not saying my client is going to prove he is correct at trial, I am saying he is entitled to a fair trial."
However Mr Justice Julian Knowles dismissed Mr Hall's renewed bid to bring an appeal and said his full reasons would be provided in writing.
Mr Hall said that while a judge may find some of the allegations to be "distasteful", the issues were too complicated to be dealt with through summary judgment.
'Wooden box'
When asked precisely what Mr Hall's argument was about where the 22 people who were found to have died in the May 2017 attack are now, Mr Oakley said: "Three died earlier, others it appears are abroad."
Mr Hall had also said: "A funeral is not evidence of a death, it is evidence of a wooden box."
In written submissions, Mr Oakley claimed Mr Hall wanted to bring an appeal due to the previous judge's "comprehensive failure to address factual and relevant evidence".
Martin and Eve Hibbert were at the Ariana Grande concert in May 2017 and suffered life-changing injuries, with Mr Hibbert left with a spinal cord injury and Ms Hibbert facing severe brain damage.
However, Mr Hall has claimed that the attack, in which Salman Abedi detonated a homemade rucksack bomb in the crowd of concert-goers, was faked by government agencies.
The author has been accused of visiting the homes and workplaces of those injured in the attack - including Ms Hibbert's home - and recording footage of them.
The full trial in the Hibberts' claim against Mr Hall is expected in July.
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