Joshua Hitchens succeeds on third contempt application against the same defendant

In Ignite v Cooper [2026] EWHC 1525(KB) Martin Spencer J made findings of contempt against the defendant to long running commercial proceedings, Mr Cooper, including that he had lied in evidence which he had relied on in the course of previous contempt proceedings brought against him. 

In 2023, Ignite, represented by Josh, obtained a freezing order against Mr Cooper and his companies as well as judgment for £3.5m. 

In 2024, Mr Cooper was committed to prison for breach of the information provisions of a freezing order and an order for delivery up. Josh acted in those proceedings and successfully resisted Mr Cooper’s appeal to the Court of Appeal against his 9-month term of imprisonment. In the course of those contempt proceedings, Mr Cooper filed evidence setting out his assets in purported late compliance with the freezing order. 

Following Mr Cooper’s release from prison, the claimants continued to take steps to enforce their judgment debt, including obtaining disclosure orders against a number of banks. This disclosure revealed that Mr Cooper had breached the substantive provisions of the freezing order by dissipating funds, including over the period he was on trial in the first set out contempt proceedings. It also revealed that the account given by Mr Cooper of his assets during the previous contempt proceedings was inaccurate, and that Mr Cooper had therefore committed contempt of court in the course of defending contempt proceedings. 

Ignite also obtained a debtor’s questioning disclosure order which required Mr Cooper to disclose various documents relevant to his means. Mr Cooper failed to fully comply with that order. 

Ignite made a further contempt application alleging:

1. That Mr Cooper had interfered with the due administration of justice by giving dishonest accounts of his assets in evidence filed during the previous contempt proceedings. 

2. That Mr Cooper had breached the substantive provisions of the 2023 freezing order. 

3. That Mr Cooper had breached a debtors questioning disclosure order made by Master Armstrong. 

Following a four day trial, in which Mr Cooper made a series of late admissions, Mr Justice Spencer held Mr Cooper in contempt of court. A further hearing shall be held later in the year to determine sanction. 

Josh Hitchens has acted for Ignite throughout these proceedings and was instructed by Mackrell LLP. 

To read the full judgement, click here.

Find Out More

Joshua Hitchens is currently instructed in cases before the UK Supreme Court, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the Court of Appeal, the European Court of Human Rights, the Supreme Court of St Helena and the High Court of England and Wales. He acts in high profile and high value disputes in Commercial and public law. Read his full profile, here.

To find out more, contact Lexie Johnson on + 44 (0) 207 427 0801 or Dave Lovitt on +44 (0)20 7353 6381

News 2 Jul, 2026