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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Billy Mitchell was awarded A$300,000 in non-economic damages and A$50,000 in aggravated damages after Queensland District Court Judge Ken Barlow found YouTuber Karl Jobst liable for defaming him in a 2021 video. Interest was also reported, but published accounts give different figures, and the final legal-costs amount was not established in the reports.
How much did Billy Mitchell win?
The Queensland District Court awarded Mitchell A$300,000 for non-economic loss and A$50,000 in aggravated damages, according to contemporaneous reports from Australian Associated Press and Time Extension. Those damages total A$350,000 before interest. The award was made on April 1, 2025, by Judge Ken Barlow.
Interest is reported differently. AAP gives A$34,668, describing it as interest, while Time Extension itemizes A$34,668.50 on the non-economic damages and A$5,778.08 on the aggravated damages. Since those published summaries do not agree, they do not support a single definitive all-in figure.
What was the case about?
The case concerned a 2021 video by YouTuber Karl Jobst about Mitchell’s earlier legal action against online creator Benjamin Smith, better known as Apollo Legend. Mitchell argued that the video conveyed that his action had left Smith deeply in debt and contributed to Smith’s suicide. AAP reported that the video was online for 15 days and had been viewed more than 500,000 times, according to evidence presented to the court. Mitchell also said it harmed his reputation and paid convention work.
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Judge Barlow’s reported reasoning addressed the assumed payment at the center of Jobst’s assertions. AAP quoted him as saying: “His assertions were based on a fallacy, that Apollo Legend had paid a large sum of money to Mr Mitchell.” The outlet also quoted the judge’s assessment that Jobst “Clearly he wanted to be the knight who slayed the Mitchell dragon” and that “His lance was not as strong as he thought it to be.” These quotations are reproduced as reported by AAP.
Was the lawsuit about whether Mitchell cheated at Donkey Kong?
No. The Jobst defamation case concerned what the 2021 video implied about Mitchell, his earlier case against Smith, and Smith’s death. It did not determine whether Mitchell’s Donkey Kong scores were achieved legitimately.
That distinction matters because Mitchell has been involved in separate disputes over his score records. For example, a California Court of Appeal opinion in Mitchell v. Twin Galaxies addressed Twin Galaxies’ statements and affirmed the denial of an anti-SLAPP motion at an early procedural stage. It was not a final trial finding that Mitchell’s scores were authentic. The opinion also notes that Guinness reinstated his records after its own investigation in 2020; that is separate from the Queensland ruling against Jobst.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What about interest and legal costs?
The reported principal damages are clear, but the interest totals differ between AAP and Time Extension. Neither account establishes a definitive combined award including interest. Legal costs are a separate matter: AAP reported that the parties were to make further submissions on costs, so the reports do not establish a final costs amount.
The available accounts also do not establish whether the judgment was appealed, stayed, paid, or enforced. Those outcomes should not be inferred from the damages award alone.
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