Racing Tipster Apologizes in High Court for False Death Threat Claims

A racing tipster has issued a formal apology in the High Court after falsely claiming that a business rival in the horse racing tips industry had threatened to kill him. Gearóid Norris of Harold Place, Mallow, Co Cork acknowledged that his allegations against Robert Heneghan and his company Pro Sports Advice Ltd were fabricated.

As part of the resolution, Norris has undertaken not to publish any further material online concerning Heneghan or his company. Following these commitments, the court struck out the case on Friday.

The dispute stemmed from numerous defamatory publications Norris had made about Heneghan since March 2025 across multiple social media and content platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Substack, and TikTok. The situation escalated last month when Heneghan initiated additional injunction proceedings seeking the removal of a particularly damaging article published by Norris on Substack.

In the contested article, Norris had made serious allegations, claiming that Heneghan had called him and threatened to shoot him in the head, as well as threatening harm to his family. Norris went further by asserting he possessed a recording of this supposed conversation.

Heneghan categorically denied these claims, stating there was absolutely no truth to them and that no such phone conversation had ever taken place. In court documents, Heneghan expressed his belief that Norris had published these false accusations “in an attempt to pressurise me to relent on my decision to institute legal proceedings against him for all the defamatory material he had previously posted online about me.”

The court initially ordered the immediate removal of the article and directed Norris to produce the alleged recording of the threatening call. However, when questioned about the evidence, Norris’s solicitor subsequently informed the court that no such recording existed.

During Friday’s proceedings, Tom Murphy, barrister representing Heneghan, informed the court that the matter had been resolved, with Norris providing written undertakings to the court. These undertakings include commitments not to publish any further material referring directly or indirectly to Heneghan, not to repeat any previous allegations, and to remove any remaining defamatory content from online platforms.

Brian O’Sullivan, representing Norris, read a formal apology in court. The statement acknowledged that the Substack article claiming Heneghan had made death threats during a 53-second phone call was entirely false. Norris confirmed that Heneghan had never made any threats whatsoever, and he wished to apologize for his false claims.

Judge Brian Cregan noted the undertakings provided by Norris and formally struck out the proceedings.

This case highlights the serious consequences of online defamation within specialized business sectors like the horse racing tips industry, where reputation and trustworthiness are paramount. The racing tips market in Ireland and the UK is highly competitive, with tipsters building their client base largely on credibility and track record.

False allegations of this nature can have devastating impacts on businesses in this sector, potentially causing immediate financial harm and long-term reputational damage. The case also demonstrates the increasing willingness of courts to address online defamation with the same seriousness as traditional forms of defamation, recognizing the significant reach and permanence of digital content.

For content creators and business operators who use online platforms, the case serves as a reminder of the legal responsibilities that accompany digital publishing, even on personal social media accounts or subscription services like Substack.