Conservative peer Michelle Monet has paid a settlement understood to be more than £50,000 to settle a defamation claim by an ex-boyfriend of Indian origin who previously accused her of sending him a racist message calling it “wasting the white skin of a man”.
Richard Linton-Jones sued Lady Mone for defamation over comments she made to the media in January after the Guardian first reported the racist and abusive messages she allegedly sent him in June 2019. Mone’s lawyers confirmed that she and Linton-Jones have reached a settlement, although they have refused to confirm that she paid him or what the deal was.
In a statement they said was made jointly with Lynton-Jones, Mone’s lawyers said: “The two parties have settled their differences on no fault or damages in relation to the alleged racist statement and the matter is now closed.”
Monet, a Conservative member of the House of Lords since 2015, is said to have sent the WhatsApp messages during a dispute following a fatal yacht accident off the coast of Monaco in which a crew member died. She appeared to accuse Linton-Jones and his then-partner of showing a lack of respect following the crash, a charge they deny.
Screenshots of the messages seen by the Guardian appear to show the Tory peer responding after Lynton-Jones told her to back off, writing: “Your [sic] low life, loss of man [sic] white skin so don’t tell us your lies. Yours [sic] a complete disgrace.”
Monet also appears to have made disparaging remarks about Linton-Jones’ partner’s mental health, describing her as “mentally insane” and “a freaking bird”.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed in January that they were investigating Mone but have now closed their investigation.
In a statement, the Met said: “In June 2021, police received an allegation of racially motivated malicious communications in relation to the use of a messaging app. A 50-year-old woman was interviewed under caution in January 2022. Following a review of the evidence, as well as consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, it was decided that no further action would be taken. If additional information comes to light, it will be further investigated. The complainant has been updated.’
When the Guardian first asked Monet about the messages, a Tory spokesman initially said: “Baroness Monet is 100% not racist. Baroness Monet and her husband [the Isle of Man-based financier Douglas Barrowman] have built over 15 schools in Africa in the last three years.”
Her lawyers later provided another statement questioning the authenticity of the messages, saying Mone had “no access” to them and no “detailed recollection of them.”
“Baroness Monet in any case very strongly denies that she is racist, sexist or that she has a lack of respect for those people who do suffer from mental health problems.”
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The statement added that it was “as illogical as it is inconceivable that she could or would have made such a comment or made it with the slightest racist intent” as she did not know at the time that Lynton-Jones “was something other than a white Brit, as his appearance is 100% white, with a glassy English accent”.
Separately, Mone is still under investigation in relation to a company linked to her, PPE Medpro, which was awarded £203m in government PPE contracts through the ‘VIP lane’. In April, the National Crime Agency launched an investigation into potential fraud linked to the company and searched several addresses. At the time, attorneys for Mone and PPE Medpro declined to comment. Mone has consistently denied any involvement in the company.
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