Latifa Tbahriti v White Collar (Legal and Admin) Ltd

Facts

White Collar (Legal and Admin) Ltd sued Ms Latifa Tbahriti in the County Court at Central London for a debt of £407.65, plus contractual interest and costs. She counterclaimed for up to £210,000 in damages for breach of contract, negligence, loss of chance, distress, inconvenience, pain, suffering and loss of amenity. On 6 June 2024 HHJ Gerald heard her applications in her absence. She said she was absent for health reasons. He dismissed her applications of 10 April and 22 May 2024, ordered her to pay the costs of those applications and of a withdrawn application, and varied the existing directions by extending deadlines backed by unless orders. At the pre-trial review on 21 October 2024, HHJ Raeside KC gave trial directions after the defendant became unwell. On 3 December 2024 HHJ Saggerson refused her applications to adjourn the adjourned pre-trial review and the trial. On 16 December 2024 HHJ Holmes gave judgment for the claimant in the sum of £678.12 and dismissed the counterclaim; the defendant had left after her adjournment application was refused. Johnson J granted permission to appeal the Gerald Order because the judge appeared to have overlooked a GP's letter. Ritchie J refused permission to appeal the other two orders on the papers and struck out a separate appeal against the Holmes Order. Mr Justice Murray heard the appeal and the renewed applications together. Both parties appeared in person.