,,,,~

BLAl<E t,ll
MORGAN
Mr Jonathan Edward Bishop
8 Heol-Y-Parc
Efail lsaf
Pontypridd
Rhondda-Cynon-Taf
CF38 1AN
51

Sent by 1 class post & email: info@crocels.info;

jonathanbishop@jonathanbishop.com

Bradley Court
11 Park Place
CARDIFF
CF 103DR
DX: 33014 Cardiff
DOI.
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E:

029 20 38 5454
029 2038 5478
029 2038 5365
029 2038 5300
delme grittiths@blakemorgan co.uk

www.blakemorgan.co.uk

Our Ref

DGR/4611 88.20

7 July 2015
Your Ref

Dear Sir
Cardiff Metropolitan University

We have been instructed by Cardiff Metropolitan University (the "University").

Introduction
We refer to your prior correspondence wi th Hu gh James Solicitors in relation to publications previously made
by you on the website entitled Crocels News (the "Website") which contained false and defamatory statements
about our client.
The Website is found at the web address www.crocels.info and/or http://news.crocels.com.
Pursuant to a letter before claim dated 19 November 2013 our client sought, inter alia, the removal of content
from four articles you had published on the Website.
That letter and a subsequent letter dated 3 December 2013 identified the defamatory statements our client
objected to.
We repea t and rely upon the contents of those letters and we draw your attention in particular to those sections
which address the harm caused to our client's reputation.
Notwith stand ing this, our client has recently become aware of further articles con taining defamatory
statements that have appeared on the Website, namely:

An article entitled "Cardiff Met student makes costly mistake" posted on 6 June 2015 (the "First
Article"); and

An article entitled "University students 'in limbo "' posted on 14 Jun e 2015 (the "Second Article").

Copies of the First Article and the Second Article (together, the "Articles") are enclosed with this letter. You
are identified as the author of the Articles and are according ly personally liable for their content.

Bl~ko Mo rg an LLP Is a limited liability partnership registered 1n England and W ales undar registered number OC392078 whose registered office is at Harbour Cour1. Compass Road,
North Harbour, Pommouth P06 4ST 1t 1s authorised and regulated by the Solic1 tors Regulation Authoril y A full list of our members 1s available at all our off.ces The term P~rtne1 1s
used to refer to a member of Blako Morgan LLP

20 15 07 07 dgr rlNAL ltr to Jonathan G,shop

Defamatory statements
We take issue with the following statements within the Articles.
The First Article

"Even though [Oliver} Bilton took the substances unknowingly, he now faces Joining a string of
students that have been withdrawn from their studies at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

This statement is untrue.

Read in conjunction with the remainder of the First Article, the meaning of the words is to suggest that
a large number of students have been withdrawn (or excluded) from studies by the University pursuant
to its disciplinary procedures. This is unsubstantiated and is false.
First, it is a matter of public record that the student in question was suspended from all sport for a
period of two years following an anti-doping rule violation. Whilst it would be inappropriate to comment
in relation to any disciplinary process which may be followed as a consequence of this determination, it
is certainly true that the student has not been withdrawn from his studies.
Further, the suggestion that the University has a blanket policy of withdrawing or excluding students in
circumstances such as this is false and is damaging to our client's reputation as it suggests a course
of conduct which the reader will assume to be unfair and arbitrary.

"Dean of Students Rob Cummings, who was himself recently investiga ted for misconduct .... "

This statement is untrue.

Mr Cummings has never been investigated for misconduct.
A complaint was previously made by you alleging that Mr Cummings had acted inappropriately. As
you are aware, that complaint was fully and properly investigated and ultimately dismissed on the
basis that it was entirely without merit.
There was no separate investigation into the conduct of Mr Cummings.
This statement is accordingly clearly defamatory in circumstances where you are fully aware that it is
untrue.

" Cardiff Metropolitan University recently denied that it spent its [sic] over 600,000 legal costs on
handling student complaints, including hiring high powered law firm Hugh James Solicitors."

This statement is, once again, untrue.

There has been no such denial.
Indeed, you have previously made a Freedom of Information Act request seeking information in
relation to the amount spent by the University on legal fees.
In response you were notified that some 606 ,487.50 was spent on legal fees from 2010 to 2014 ,
being the total legal spend across the University in that period.
If any of those costs were incurred in dealing with student complaints, the precise amount is unknown
on the basis that such information is not recorded.
The contextualisation of the statement also conveys a false meaning and wrongly suggests that the
University has failed to act in a transparent manner.

"Oliver Bi/ton 's future in sport looks uncertain, but if Cardiff Metropolitan University's student
disciplinary record according to statistics from the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher
Education 's is anything to go by, he will not have a future there."
The meaning of the words clearly suggests that the University's student disciplinary procedures are
unfair. There is no justification for this statement and the basis on which it is made is not set out.
In particular, no statistics are available from the Office of the Independent Adjud icator for Higher
Education specifically relating to disciplinary action concern ing students. As such , whilst you may
seek to assert that this statement amounts to a comment. the facts on which the comment was made
are incorrect. The statement is accordingly defamatory and damaging to our client's reputation.

The Second Article

" It has been revealed that many doctoral students at a Welsh university are going without essential
annual reviews of their studies, including in relation to the progress of their work and their training
requirements.
Postgraduate research students, many receiving studentships through taxpayer are not having the
right amount of support at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Ian Doyle is a spokesman for Cardiff
Metropolitan University. "There are a number of PGR studentships who have fallen into a limbo
category of neither being enrolled, suspended or withdrawn," he admitted. "It is recommended that a
review of the management processes of PGR students is undertaken with particular reference to the
funding status and funding regulations of those students undertaking study in HEFCW funded areas."
The clear meaning of these statements is that students are being prejudiced by failings in relation to
monitoring requirements and a lack of support on the part of the University. This is false and without
merit.
This is extremely damaging to our client's reputation upon which it relies to attract post-g raduate
students.
Mr Doyle is wrongly held out as a spokesman for the University in relation to this issue when in fact the
quoted text relates to a specific investigation of a complaint made by you , in relation to wh ich Mr Doyle
was the investigating officer.
The excerpt quoted relates specifically to students who have suspended their studies and to their
status pending re-enrolment at the end of a specified timeframe. In that period, no mon itoring reviews
are necessary.
There is accordingly no evidence whatsoever to support your assertions that students are "going
without essential annual reviews of their studies" and "not having the right amount of support which
are false and misleading.

Action you are now req uired to take

For the reasons set out the above, statements within the Articles are untrue and constitute a serious libel of our
client.
You are of course aware that in relation to the previous publica tions refe rred to above, ou r cl ient was prepared
to refrain from taking legal action aga inst you provided the defamatory statements in question were removed
from the Website.
We are instructed that our client is once again willing not to pursue this matter provided : i) the content referred
to is immediately removed; and ii) you undertake to refrain from re-publishing these statements, or anything
substantively similar, in the future.
Should you fail to do so. our client will serve a formal letter before claim leading inevitably to court
proceed ings.

In particular, our client is justifiably concerned that you seem to be intent on pursuing a course of conduct
deliberately intended to harm its reputation. This cannot be allowed to persist in abeyance.
Notwithstanding our comments above with reference to our client's preparedness to not take matters further in
this instance (if the stated conditions are met), we accordingly put you on notice that our client wi ll not look
favourably on future publications containing similarly untrue, defamatory statements and will immediately take
steps to enforce its rights.
We must ask you to let us have a reply by Friday , 1O July 2015 at the very latest. In the meantime it should be
clearly understood that our client reserves all its rights in this matter.
Yours faithfully

tM LLP
Bla k e ~ LLP
Enc.

Crocels News I University students ' in limbo'

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Crocels News (/) - / news / - Swansea, Wales, June 14,

201 S at 3:09 pm It has been revealed that many doctoral stud ents at a
Welsh university are going without esse nti al annu al
reviews of their studies, in cluding in relation to the

Crocels News

progress of their work an d their t ra ining requirements.

Postgrad uate resea rch stu dents , many receiving
student ships through tax payer are not having the right
amo unt of support at Cardiff Metropo li tan Univers ity. Ian
[... ]

http://news.crocels.com/news/4722/cardi ffmet-srudents-in-limbo/

Crocels News is the

news service of the
Crocels Com muni ty
Med ia Group.

07/07/20 15

Crocels News I University students 'in limbo'

Page 2 of 3

Reg istered in

University students
'in limbo'
It has been revealed th at many doctoral students at a

Delaware as Crocels
News, Inc.

Recent
Comments

Welsh university are going witho ut essential annu al

reviews of thei r studies, including in relation to the

Rita Fowe ll on Wirral

progress of their work and their training requirements.

man jailed for

runn ing brothel

Postgraduate researc h stud ents, many receivi ng

(http:/ / news.crocels.

stud ent ships through taxpayer are not havi ng the right

com / news / 708 9/ja

amou nt of supp ort at Cardiff Metropolitan Univers ity. Ian

mes - fe l ix- anth ony-

Doyle is a spokesman for Cardiff Metropolitan

pi m p-

University. "There are a number o f PCR

studentships who have fallen into a limbo category of

neither being enrolled, suspended or withdrawn," he
admitted. "It is recommended that a review of the
management processes of PCR students is undertaken
with particular reference to the funding status and
funding regulations of those students undertaking study
in HEFCW funded areas."

jailed / #comment-

5639)
An n Heard on
Former MP's aide in
"breast fond ling " row
(http:/ / news .crocels.
com / news / 7099 / ga
vi n- cal laghan-steverothe ram - b reast -

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- 563 5)
Dzon on Wirral man
j ailed for run ning
brothel
(http:/ / news.crocel s.
com / new s/ 7089 /j a
mes - fe lix-anthonypimp jail ed / #comment-

5637)

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ews I Cardiff Met student makes costly mi stake

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Crocels News (/) - / news / - Swansea, Wales, June 6 ,

201 5 at 4:28 pm -

A stud ent at Cardiff Metropo litan University look s set to

have hi s life turned upside down by th e higher education
institution after he mistakenly took sports supp lim ents

Crocels News

which contained prohibited substances. Popular stud ent,

Oliver Bilton, who has played for Cardiff Metropolitan
University's rugby team, was found during a routine and
voluntary drugs te st to have taken [ .. .]

Crocels News is the

news service of the
Crocel s Commun ity
Media Group.

http://news.crocels.com/news/7 156/cardiff-mct-srudent-makes-costly-mistake/

07/07/2015

Crocels News I Cardiff Met student makes costly mistake

Cardiff Met student

makes costly
mistake

Page 2 of 4

Registered in
Delaware as Crocels
News, Inc.

Recent
Comments
A student at Cardiff Metropolitan University looks set to
have his life turned upside down by the higher education

Rita Fowell on Wirral

institution after he mistakenly took sports suppliments

man jailed for

which contained prohibited substances.

running brothel
(h ttp: / / news.crocels.

Popular student, Oliver Bilton, who has played for Cardiff

corn I news / 7089 / ja

Metropolitan University's rugby team, was found during

mes-fel i x-anthony-

a routine and voluntary drugs test to have taken

supplements containing Oxandrolone and metabolite
Epioxandrolone.
Even though Bilton took the substances unknowingly, he
now faces joining a string of students that have been
withdrawn from their studies at Cardiff Metropolitan
University. Dean of Students Rob Cummings, who was
himself recently investigated for misconduct, says the

pim pjailed /#comment563 9)

Ann Heard o n
Fo rmer MP's aide i n
"breast fondling" row
(h ttp :// new s .crocel s.

university takes a tough line on su ch issu es. "The

com / news / 7099 / ga

Univer sity has a disciplinary procedure which is used in

vi n-callag han - steve-

such cas es, and specifically covers the mi suse of drugs,"

ro t heram- breast-

he said . 'Thi s can lead to a range of sanctions being

fondlin g / #commen t

applied including permanent exclusion. "

- 563 5)

Cardiff Metropolitan Univers ity recently denied that it

Dz on on Wirral man

spent its over 600,000 legal cost s on handling student

j ailed fo r running

complaints, including hiring high powered law firm

broth el

Hugh James Soli citors. Oliver Bilton 's futu re in sport

(http: / / news.croce ls.

looks uncertain , but if Cardiff Metropolitan University' s

corn I new s/ 70 89 /j a

student disciplinary record accordin g to statistics from

mes-fel ix -anthony-

the Office of th e Independent Adjudicator for Higher

Education' s is anything t o go by, he will not have a
future there .

pi m pjailed /#comm ent5637)

Ri ta Fawe ll on Wirral
man j ail ed for

http://news.crocels.com/news/7 156/cardiff-met-sludent-makes-costly-mistake/

07/07/2 015

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