Sandy Hook: Alex Jones liable in defamation lawsuit

Monday's ruling is the latest in a succession of losses for the prominent right-wing figure

US radio host and prominent conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been found liable to pay damages in another legal case brought by parents of children killed in a mass school shooting.

Twenty children and six adults were shot dead at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut in 2012.

Mr Jones repeatedly claimed the attack was a ploy to push gun control, staged by actors and the mainstream media.

Monday's ruling was in a lawsuit filed by eight families of victims.

A Connecticut superior court judge found Mr Jones liable by default after he refused to turn over documents ordered by the courts, including financial records.

Mr Jones lost other cases last month in Texas for the same reason. The families of 10 victims have now been granted victories in four defamation lawsuits against him.

Lawyers accused the conspiracy theorist of profiting from the false claims he made about the shooting and accuse him of avoiding sharing documents for years.

The New York Times reports further jury hearings will be held in both states next year to determine how much he should pay in damages to the families, in addition to their legal costs.

Mr Jones has already been banned by Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in recent years for hate speech and abusive behaviour.

Claims about Sandy Hook were among the most prominent spread on the radio show and right-wing Infowars website run by the conspiracy theorist.

• BACKGROUND: Sandy Hook: What happened that day

• LEGAL CASE: Sandy Hook parents sue for defamation

• VOICES: Sandy Hook to Trump: 'Help us stop conspiracy theorists'

Sandy Hook remains one of the worst school shootings in US history.

Twenty children and six staff members were killed at the school in Newtown, Connecticut, on 14 December 2012 when a gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle before killing himself.

Mr Jones claimed the attack was a "giant hoax" carried out by actors in order to push government gun control initiatives, although amid his legal troubles he has since acknowledged the shooting took place.

Parents of Sandy Hook victims say they have been harassed, both online and in person, by trolls who make false allegations about the shooting.

Lawyers for Mr Jones had argued his comments were protected by free speech rights.