HT-2020-000448 - [2024] EWHC 1185 (TCC)
Technology and Construction Court

HT-2020-000448 - [2024] EWHC 1185 (TCC)

Fecha: 17-May-2024

R0 Licence Costs – Item 4 of the Updated Schedule of Loss

R0 Licence Costs – Item 4 of the Updated Schedule of Loss

476.

This is pleaded in the sum of £9,653,107. The sum supported by Mr Hain is £8,509,192 in his First Report. The Joint Report (Appendix G, Row 12) states that the experts agree that £8,77,866 has been incurred and paid in relation to this item, and this is the amount claimed.

477.

As made clear by Mr Hain in his First Report at paragraph 6.2.15, the claimed sums relate to the period 6 April 2020 to 5 April 2023 (although I note that Ms Graves suggests at paragraph 41 of her Third Witness Statement that the costs claimed are ‘from 2018’).

478.

Whilst Mr Hain’s assessed sum, upon which DBS now rely, is arithmetically close to the sum claimed and supported by Ms Graves, Mr Hain has adjusted the claim significantly by (a) increasing the claim by c£3m to reflect costs from 6 April 2023 to 2024; (b) increasing the sum claimed by c£6m to account for costs between 6 April 2018 to 2020; (c) decreasing the claim by c.£10.3m to account for ongoing R1 Oracle Processor based costs, ongoing R1 annual End User based costs, costs for unsampled charges and a particular issue with a particular invoice.

479.

Therefore, it is clear that the claim is fundamentally different to that pleaded, and supported by factual evidence. This is not mere adjustment by an expert assessing the claim made – it is the expert advancing a new case (one which runs for a period of some 6 years rather than a pleaded case relating to a period of 3 years). This is not the role of an expert.

480.

In any event, the only relevant claim would, in light of my findings above, be for a short period within the 2017-18 financial year in respect of which there is (a) no pleaded case and (b) no factual evidence and (c) no expert evidence (even on the basis of the broader analysis undertaken by Mr Hain).

481.

In the circumstances, the claim fails.