Matthew Garrett has won a libel claim against Roy Schestowitz (Techrights) and Rianne Schestowitz (Tuxmachines).

Roy and Rianne Schestowitz published 24 articles across Techrights and Tuxmachines making serious and false allegations about Dr Garrett, including that he was responsible for a campaign of criminal harassment against the Schestowitzes using ‘sockpuppet’ accounts on IRC. The Schestowitzes also wrongly accused Dr Garrett of being a habitual user of Class A drugs.

The Judge, Mrs Justice Collins Rice, heard the trial in the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice in October 2025 and handed down her judgment on 20 November 2025. The Judge ruled in favour of Dr Garrett. She found that the allegations were not true, and that the articles could not be defended as honest opinion or in the public interest.

In light of the allegations not being true, the Court held that Dr Garrett is entitled to proper vindication and compensatory damages in respect of them. He was awarded substantial damages of £70,000 and was also awarded his costs.

The Court ordered an injunction against Dr and Mrs Schestowitz requiring them to delete/remove the allegations, and never in the future make the same or similar defamatory allegations.

This summary is published on Techrights and Tuxmachines by Order of the High Court of England and Wales. The full judgment is available here.