Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill will not receive any payout over former DUP councillor's 'kennel' remark 

Sinn Féin Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill speaking to the media during the Northern Ireland Investment Summit 2023 at the ICC, Belfast. 

Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill will not receive any payout after a former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) councillor said she will be "put back in her kennel," a High Court ruled today.

John Carson posted the comment on Facebook back in April 2021.

He initially apologised online, but the Sinn Féin vice president took him to court, arguing that the insult was defamatory.

In May, Ms O'Neill won her case but on Tuesday a High Court judge ruled the remark was not defamatory as it "had no adverse impact on Ms O'Neill's reputation".

According to BBC News, Master Bell ruled that although Mr Carson's comments were abusive, offensive and misogynistic, they did not meet the threshold of defamation.

He explained that public opinions of Ms O'Neill had not been affected by Mr Carson's insult, adding that she was a political "star" while the former DUP councillor had lost his position and was now a political non-entity.

"In the light of this conclusion I am obliged to rule that no award of damages is payable to Ms O'Neill in respect of it," Master Bell told the court.

However, Master Bell said that the decision should not be seen as a win for Mr Carson who now faces a legal bill in excess of £12,000.

Ms O'Neill took legal action after Mr Carson posted the remark during a Facebook discussion about the DUP leadership contest in April 2021.

He commented on a photograph of Ms O'Neill, who was deputy first minister of Northern Ireland at the time saying: "She will be put back in her kennel."

Mr Carson was suspended as a councillor for three months after a local government standards watchdog deemed the remarks unreasonable and misogynistic.

Mr Carson represented the Ballymena area on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.