Teacher ‘forced into hiding’ over fake racist video as pro-Gaza lawyer pays ‘substantial’ damages
A PE teacher who was forced into hiding after a fake clip was shared suggesting she had made racist comments has been paid substantial damages.
Cheryl Bennett, of Wednesbury, West Midlands, had been canvassing for Labour as a favour for a colleague.
The manipulated doorbell footage, featured subtitles suggesting Bennett had said anti-Pakistani abuse towards the homeowner.
It was shared by solicitor Akhmed Yakoob, who was standing as a pro-Gaza independent candidate in the West Midlands mayoral election at the time. He would finish third behind Labour’s Richard Parker and former Tory Mayor, Andy Street.
Bennett, aged 27, said she has now been paid “substantial” damages and costs from Yakoob after she filed legal action for defamation and a breach of her data protection rights.
She said: “I was just constantly in survival mode. Because there was days where I just though it would it be easier if I was to just end my life. Just because I felt like my career would never be same.”
Hundreds of people bombarded Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School in Wood Green Road with complaints about the footage, including parents. The school responded by writing to parents explaining that the video was fake.
Yakoob shared the doctored footage alongside a clip of himself saying: “Those who are still in the Labour Party, now is your time to leave.” He also shared Bennett’s name and place of work.
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While Bennett received damages from Yakoob, she told the BBC: “There’s nothing that can be done that can ever change what I went through. I don’t think there will ever be any form of vindication that will make me feel satisfied with the outcome.
“You can’t put a figure on the damage that you’ve caused somebody internally. So although, yes, he’s paid an amount, it will never cover the trauma that he put me through, or my family. Never.”
Nick McAleenan, a partner at Brabners solicitors who represented Bennett, said: “It’s her voice but it’s been synthetically messed around with to say those things. The volume on it is exactly the same when she’s next to the camera as it is when she’s about five metres away, that was one of the telltale signs.
“This kind of thing has obviously happened in previous elections abroad, but I don’t really think it’s ever happened in the UK, so to that extent, it is a precedent. This settlement does show the risk to people of misusing things.”
Yakoob later stood in the 2024 General Election in the Birmingham Ladywood seat, coming second to incumbent MP and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood by just 3,421 votes.
He told the BBC: “It’s been put behind us now and I’m glad it’s been put behind us. I’m glad it’s over and Cheryl’s moving on.
“I wish her the very best of luck. I do regret my actions about everything. It was a mistake.
“It was never anything personal against Cheryl. Sharing it was a mistake, of course. I believe someone sent it to my campaign team and it was a set-up.”