DSN (claimant/respondent) –v- Blackpool Football Club Ltd (defendant/appellant)

Wednesday 21st – Thursday 22nd July 2021

Defendant appeals the substantive order made by  Griffiths J dated 13th March 2020.

Background

This claim, brought in the High Court, QBD, was for damages for personal injury arising out an allegation of sexual abuse/assault committed by a man named Frank Roper in the course of a trip to New Zealand in the 1980’s. The Claimant was a minor at the time. It should be noted that an anonymity order was made below.

The Defendant raised a limitation defence and, in any event, denied that it could be vicariously liable for any sexual assault of the Claimant committed by Roper, who is deceased.

Griffiths J directed that the limitation period should be disapplied pursuant to section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980 and found for the Claimant on liability, rejecting the Defendant’s submissions on vicarious liability.

View hearing:

Day 1

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Day 2

Part 1 (final part)