A Quesnel man convicted of promoting online hate is seeking to have dropped a defamation lawsuit brought against him by a former neo-Nazi skinhead who became dedicated to countering violent extremism.
In a notice of application filed last week, Arthur Topham says Daniel Gallant has failed to provide any material facts supporting his notice of claim.
The closest Gallant has come, he says, is to make an unsubstantiated assertion that Topham called him "a liar, terrorist and conspirator of an evil network" four years ago on a website which ceased to exist in 2017.
Topham "specifically denies using such words."
Moreover, Topham asserts Gallant's notice of civil claim, filed in March 2017, has expired because it was not served until March 1, 2019, slightly less than a year after it expired due to a lack of further action.
A hearing on the application is tentatively scheduled for April 8 in B.C. Supreme Court in Prince George.
In March 2018, Topham was sentenced to a six-month conditional sentence followed by two years of probation after a jury found him guilty of willfully promoting hatred against people of the Jewish religion.
He was also ordered to refrain from posting his writings on any other internet forum where they can be read by the general public.
