Calypsonian Ingrid “Lady IB” Brathwaite-Matthew will have to pay compensation to Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) president Ainsley King for defamatory statements she made on social media in late 2021.
During a virtual hearing of King’s case on Thursday, High Court Judge Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell granted a default judgment to him.
King’s legal victory in the case was not based on a detailed analysis of the merits of his case but rather due to Brathwaite-Matthew’s failure to participate in the litigation despite being served with it.
While Donaldson-Honeywell granted an injunction barring Brathwaite-Matthew from repeating the defamatory comments and requiring her to remove the posts, as sought by King in the case, she did not immediately assess the compensation to be paid to him. The assessment will take place at a later date.
Brathwaite-Matthew was also ordered to pay King’s legal costs for pursuing the case.
In a press release issued by TUCO to reveal the development in the case, King claimed that he was pleased with the outcome.
“This is a wake-up call for anyone who believes they can defame someone’s character unjustly without any evidence of truth. Therefore, I am pleading to those alike to let good sense prevail and think before acting,” King said.
King was represented by Lytton Alfred.
Last year, High Court Judge Kevin Ramcharan dismissed a lawsuit from veteran calypsonian Morel “King Luta” Peters over its failure to hold a by-election following the passing of King’s predecessor Lutalo “Brother Resistance” Massimba in 2021.
In the case, Peters claimed that the organisation’s General Council breached its constitution when it voted to elevate King to the post after Massimba’s passing.
In dismissing the case, Justice Ramcharan upheld an application from TUCO to strike it out based on Peters’ failure to plead an essential element of his case related to his membership in the organisation.