On the afternoon of 3 December 2025, there was an unusually loud knock on the boat where I’m berthed at a marina in Gibraltar – a place from which I’ve been arrested on numerous occasions. My first thought was: “Oh no, not the cops again. What have I done this time?”
Climbing up on deck, I was amused to see it wasn’t the police but a courier from Hassans, accompanied by a marina staff member. He handed me an envelope and asked for my signature. Without fuss, I signed, remarking aloud, “This should be interesting.” The courier, friendly enough, thanked me and called me “mate.”
Back inside, I opened the envelope. Hassans – Gibraltar’s biggest law firm, never exactly my allies – were acting on behalf of Dr. Helen Carter, Director of Public Health. The three‑page letter was a notice before action, threatening litigation proceedings against me and demanding a response within fourteen days. Later that day, I consulted with The Gibraltar Messenger about the letter. After consultation, I chose not to respond. Since then, there has been no follow‑up, leaving me to wonder whether Carter and Hassans were serious or merely trying to sell me a dummy.
Nobody had ever threatened me like this before, yet I lost no sleep. I was more focused on the soon‑to‑be published Openshaw Report on the McGrail Inquiry, released on 23 December 2025. A month has now passed with no action, reinforcing my belief that they have chickened out.
I occasionally see Dr. Carter in Main Street, but we haven’t spoken since 16 October 2025 – the day I was acquitted after cross‑examining her and Sandra Gracia, Director of Nursing.
As for Hassans, my interest in the McGrail Inquiry drew my attention to their announcement mid-January 2026: a civil lawsuit against the RGP over the search warrant that sparked the case. Senior Partner James Levy KC confirmed he had sent a formal letter before action to the Commissioner of Police. I noted that neither GBC nor the Gibraltar Chronicle had reported anything when Hassans served a similar notice to me forty days earlier. I felt a bit miffed.
Last week, I observed Parliament as politicians and journalists debated Peter Openshaw’s report, which I had read in full. It is not my intention here to cover my own thoughts on the McGrail Inquiry – though I have them.
I have several hearings coming up between now and mid‑April, including one where I am under suspicion of supporting Hamas, and another for contempt of Parliament. The prospect of locking horns with Hassans, whom Donald Trump Jr. visited last month, still intrigues me.
At this stage, I want to note that I once wrote emails to every member of Hassans under the pseudonym John Arthur Goodchild. Those emails generated interest at the time, though Gibraltar wasn’t mature enough to grasp my meaning. I often wondered whether Hassans ever realised that John Arthur Goodchild was me – plain old Tony Farrell.
This article is not written to defend myself against Dr. Carter’s issues. Rather, it is about challenging Helen Carter and Hassans to accept a double dog dare.
Suffice to say, the rest of this article spotlights exactly what the Hassans notice is all about. I don’t deal with Hassans directly these days, ever since James Levy’s son gave me a veiled threat when he looked at my little school chalkboard – a little treasure that unlawfully got stolen from me by the RGP on National Day.
The $64,000 question is this – will Dr. Helen Carter accept the dog dare or not? Time alone will tell. The sleepers must awaken.