The mother of a teenager who tragically died by suicide has secured High Court orders restraining Gemma O'Doherty from harassing her. The orders were granted on Friday evening by Mr Justice Conor Dignam in favour of Edel Campbell, who claims she has been the subject of a campaign of harassment by Ms Doherty for suing her over the alleged unauthorised publication of her late son's image on media associated with the defendant.
It is alleged that Ms O'Doherty has wrongly and unlawfully used the image of plaintiff's son Diego Gilsenan in an article linking unexplained deaths to the Covid-19 vaccination. Mr Justice Dignam made orders including ones restraining Ms O'Doherty from harassing the plaintiff, or from publishing Ms Campbells or her late son's images or any personal confidential material about them.
Ms O'Doherty is also restrained from encouraging or inciting others to intimidate the plaintiff and was ordered to take down and remove any image of the plaintiff, and her late son from any form of media that she owns or operates. The orders are to remain in place pending the final outcome of Ms Campbell's action against Ms O'Doherty, trading as 'The Irish Light'.
The judge that while he was not making any final determination of the claim, he was satisfied to grant the injunction because Ms Campbell had made a strong case that the defendant's actions towards her "amount to harassment".
The judge noted evidence put before the court where the defendant had made comments in online talks and videos about Ms Campbells including that she is "a bad mother" as well as allegedly untrue comments about her son, and the circumstances of his death.
The judge also noted that Ms O'Doherty had made comments in her online lectures where she spoke about Ms Campbell that were anti-semitic and had engaged in holocaust denial. The judge said that the case raised a number of novel and complex legal issues, including arguments on the freedom of speech.
He added that these were matters that could be argued at the full hearing of the action. Meanwhile, the injunctions are to remain in place pending the full hearing of the claim. Ms O'Doherty was not present in court during Friday's hearing, nor were any representations made on her behalf.
