US Supreme Court rejects Alex Jones’ appeal over £1bn Sandy Hook judgment

Alex Jones giving evidence at the Sandy Hook defamation damages trial in 2022 (Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)

The US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and left in place the 1.4 billion-dollar (£1 billion) judgment against him over his description of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as a hoax staged by actors.

The Infowars host had argued that a judge was wrong to find him liable for defamation and infliction of emotional distress without holding a trial on the merits of allegations lodged by relatives of victims of the shooting, which killed 20 primary school children and six teaching staff in Newtown, Connecticut.