IT consultant ordered to repay £50,000 over Soho House data
A civil judge ordered an IT contractor to return a £50,000 settlement after he tried to blackmail the private members’ club Soho House with a threat to leak members’ personal data.
Amit Sharma, an IT consultant contracted through Espire Infolabs, was ordered by a civil court to repay a £50,000 settlement after threatening to release personal information belonging to more than 50,000 members of Soho House, London’s largest private members’ club.
The court ruling
The dispute began when Sharma, who had been seconded to the club for a data‑intensive IT project, fell out with his employer over alleged harassment and a contested exit payment. Unsatisfied with the settlement offered by Espire, he began emailing club members in July last year, demanding a “seven‑figure” sum to keep their addresses, bank details and payment card information private.
"Your address and other sensitive details are leaked and [the club] is trying to cover this [up]", Sharma wrote to several members.
He also contacted journalists, claiming the club had given him “unsolicited access to very high profile and elite clients”. The club reported the threats to the Information Commissioner’s Office and the police, who arrested Sharma the following day and seized his devices.
In court, Sharma argued he had been bullied and that the large exit settlement from Espire was evidence of misconduct. The judge rejected his claims and ordered the repayment of the £50,000 settlement, noting the threat to leak data was unfounded and that only a small subset of members’ details had actually been accessed.
Implications for data security
The case underscores the risks private clubs face when outsourcing IT work. With members paying premium fees for privacy, any breach can damage reputation and invite regulatory action. Tightening compliance rules for data handling across the UK mean firms must be vigilant about contractor access and data‑loss prevention.
Soho House declined to comment on the matter. The club, founded in 1995 and now owned by US hotel operator MCR after a £2.7bn buy‑out, has not disclosed whether it will pursue further legal action against Sharma. Espire Infolabs has not responded to requests for comment.
Legal experts say the ruling sends a clear message: threats to weaponise personal data will not be tolerated, and settlements tied to such conduct can be clawed back by the courts.
