Attempt to bankrupt Bridgen suggestive of “abusive practice,” court rules
An attempt to force bankruptcy on former MP and independent pro-liberty politician Andrew Bridgen has been tossed out of court by a judge in Birmingham.
In an oral ruling on Thursday District Judge Anthony Rich branded the manner of the application suggestive of “abusive practice.”
Speaking to independent news organisation Resistance GB at the Uniting the Kingdom rally on Saturday Mr Bridgen said he is the victim of “lawfare.”
The October 24th hearing at Birmingham Civil Court was held to consider demands for payment brought by Mr. Bridgen’s brother Paul and two other company directors in a long running dispute over the family’s vegetable processing business, AB Produce.
The demands were made improperly, the Judge ruled, following a trial in January during which Andrew Bridgen proved successfully that the company had been run for a number of years in a way that harmed his financial interests.
Paul Bridgen declined to answer a number of questions during the January trial following advice that the answers might implicate him in criminal behaviour.
His Honour Judge Brian Rawlings said there had been a “sustained pattern of Paul diverting PLC’s assets to the use of and for the benefit of the Partnership” - namely a partnership with his wife.
By way of remedy Judge Rawlings ordered that a number of shares in the company be sold to Andrew Bridgen.
But after sending two independent finance professionals into the company prior to the share sale Andrew Bridgen says he discovered it was close to insolvency - something Judge Rawlings was not told prior to making the order.
Andrew Bridgen asked a number of questions about the company’s financial health in a letter to Paul Bridgen and the other directors on 4 March 2024 and requested the share sale be postponed pending their answers.
For example, he enquired whether HMRC was about to wind the company up over unpaid tax liabilities.
This question - and twenty four others in the letter - went unanswered and remained so at last week’s hearing.
Andrew Bridgen therefore declined to exercise the right bestowed on him by Judge Rawlings to buy the shares.
Paul Bridgen, Peter Ellis and Derek Tomkinson immediately filed statutory demands as though Andrew owed them money.
If the statutory demands had been successful bankruptcy proceedings would have been initiated by the court against Mr Bridgen - with, his lawyer told the court, the “deprivation of property and status which it involves.”
But on Thursday District Judge Rich threw out the statutory demands and said insolvency proceedings are not “a tactical tool” or “means of putting pressure on.”
He noted that Judge Rawlings had said a failure to complete the sale would have to be dealt with by a further court order.
He also noted the fact that the statutory demands were served on Andrew Bridgen after business hours on a Friday evening, at a time when he would not have had access to legal advice, and said the circumstances of the demands were suggestive of “abusive practice” by his opponents - who were also ordered to pay £17240 in costs.
Andrew Bridgen said: “I thank the Birmingham court and District Judge Rich for his judgement. The respondents should take note.”
Hunt & Gather has reached out to Paul Bridgen for comment.
Only a chink of light in the sustained lawfare against an honourable man, the ONLY honourable MP during the past five years. I hope this little light grows larger for Andrew Bridgen. He deserves gratitude from so many people!