Two Rival Sydney Food Bloggers Beef Has Ended In A $300K Defamation Lawsuit

Sydney food blogger Issac Martin — aka Sir Eats-A-Lot — has been awarded $300,000 in damages after the NSW Court found that rival food blogger, Fouad Najem, defamed him.

The beef between the two food influencers — who have never met in person — is the first case to be heard under new defamation laws in New South Wales. Under the new laws, plaintiffs must be able to prove that their reputation has been harmed as a result of the comments, in an attempt to discourage defamation claims that cost more in legal fees than they are actually worth.

In one video posted to social media, Najem reportedly called Martin a “pedo dog” and a racist who “hates multiculturalism” and is “attacking Muslims.” While he denied that the four videos posted had the capacity to convey the meaning that Martin was actually a pedophile or a racist, Najem served no evidence to support this — nor did he attend the trial to defend himself.

Martin — who claimed he had to turn down work opportunities and avoid certain parts of Sydney out of fear for his safety following the allegations — contacted police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre for help before ultimately deciding to sue for defamation.

“When the police system didn’t work for us, I felt civil action was my last option to both restore my reputation (and) protect my family from such unnecessary attacks online,” Martin told AAP.

“To this date, no apology has ever been afforded to myself or my wife for the vile abuse and harassment he continued to share.

“I’m not sure he himself accepts that what he’s done is wrong yet.”

Ultimately, the court found that Najem caused serious harm and was guilty of defaming Martin, noting that the motive was to discredit his competitor. He was ordered to pay $306,656 in damages and has been issued with a permanent restraining order from making claims about Martin.

“The extreme nature of the allegations is an important factor,” Judge Judith Gibson said on Monday.

“There are few more hated criminals in Australia than paedophiles. They are not even safe in gaol. To call a person a paedophile is at or near the top of the list of serious allegations. Allegations of being a racist are repugnant, but not in the same class.”

In addition to the public comments, Najem sent Martin a direct message that threatened to “end” and “destroy” him.

Najem’s social media handles were not named in the trial to avoid further publicising the comments made, which the court claims were “so sensational, abusive and profane that they should not be reproduced without the most compelling reasons”.

Following the judgement, Martin took to social media to clear his name.

“I believe we’re all equal. I have zero prejudice against any race, religion, gender or ethnicity,’ he said.

“Online trolls and cyberbullies must realise that they’re accountable and in this century our law reforms and framework for support need to recognise the importance of this.”