Alan Barnes fundraiser loses court battle

Ms Cutler raised £330,000 for Alan Barnes after he was attacked in the street

A woman who started a fundraiser for disabled mugging victim Alan Barnes has said she will give up charity work after losing a legal dispute with her former PR handler.

Katie Cutler was at the County Court in Newcastle to hear that a £6,200 billplus legal costs was legal and must be paid to Claire Barber PR.

During the hearing it emerged Mr Barnes had written Ms Barber a cheque for the amount Ms Cutler owed, but the PR handler had not cashed the cheque.

Ms Cutler, a beautician from Greenside, Gateshead, had set up an onlinefundraising page for Mr Barnes last year which raised £330,000 after he was attacked in the street, and used the widespread publicity to start a foundation to help other good causes.

She wept outside court as she said:

After the hearing, Miss Barber, who runs her Northumberland-based business with one of her two daughters, said the strain had been "intolerable" and she had been the victim of trolling since details of the legal dispute emerged.

She said Mr Barnes had felt pressured to step in to help Ms Cutler by people on social media, and that was why he had written her the cheque, which she has not cashed.

She said:

During the hearing it emerged that Ms Cutler sent an email to Miss Barber in March last year which said: "I formally appoint you as my official PR for both Katie Cutler and Acts of Kindness (a charity she intended to start) at a daily rate of £550.

Deputy District Judge Nathan Adams said the disputed bill came down to contract law and he turned down Ms Cutler's application to challenge a previous County Court judgment in favour of Miss Barber.