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X FACTOR judge Louis Walsh has said he has been “completely vindicated” by the decision of the publisher of The Irish Sun newspaper to settle a defamation case taken by Walsh for €500,000.
The High Court was due to hear mention of Walsh’s case against The Sun’s publisher Newsgroup, over the newspaper’s publication of a false story alleging a sexual assault by Walsh against another man, Leonard Watters, this morning.
When the case came up, the court was told that the matter had been settled out of court.
Lawyers for The Sun read an apology in court, in which it “fully accepts that the alleged assault did not occur” and offered an “unreserved apology”.
Outside the court Walsh’s lawyer, well-known libel solicitor Paul Tweed, told reporters outside the court he would be paid “very substantial damages” of €500,000, as well as having The Sun cover his legal costs.
(YouTube: Newstalk106108fm)
“Nothing can ever compensate me for the damage that was done to my reputation by The Sun and the trauma it caused to me, my family and close circle of friends,” Walsh said in a further statement released this lunchtime.
“Over my thirty odd years in showbusiness, I have had an excellent working relationship with the majority of journalists.
“I was therefore absolutely devastated that these allegations were published, particularly as I had made it very clear at the time to The Sun that there was not an iota of truth in them.”
In unsuccessfully defending a previous application by Walsh to have the paper turn over its records relating to the story, The Sun said it had offered Walsh the right of reply by carrying his denial of the accusations in its original story.
“Although the perpetrator has since been convicted as a result of concocting these allegations, this didn’t stop the story being spread around the world as a result of The Sun’s headlines,” Walsh noted.
“I am nonetheless glad to have achieved this decisive and categoric outcome today.”
25-year-old Leonard Watters, who made the original Garda complaint that led to The Sun’s story, was jailed in January for six months for making two false reports about the incident, which was alleged to have occurred in Krystle nightclub in April 2011.
In July Watters lost an appeal against the severity of his sentence.
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It’s great to see Louis walk away with his reputation vindicated, I’m just sorry he didn’t bankrupt the S*n. It’s an evil, disgusting rag. I remember when the story broke that it didn’t seem at all like Louis Walsh to do such a thing and most people I knew were dubious of the whole thing.
Thats one very happy looking camper.
Ha ha !
Now now…
Brilliant!!
Very good Adrian!
I’m delighted the sun had to pay up. Bit sorry it didn’t go through the courts though because wasn’t one of the journalists accused of paying the guy to make the claim?
If that turned out to be true I would have liked to see this “journalist” exposed for what he really is.
I would be no great fan of Louis Walsh but on this occasion fair play to him, that abomination of a newspaper that presents so called journalism called the Sun should be destroyed at every possible opportunity, a worthless toxic rag that if Mr. Burdock wrapped my chips in it I would fire it back at him
I’d feel vindicated too if I was up by half a million
Should pay for the next round of hair plugs..:)
Just because someone is in the public eye some people think they can say and write what they like
Glad the sun were made pay up
I’m delighted for Louis, a good result although I would like to see this shit sheet closed down. Louis has shown they can’t just make stuff up without it costing them. well done Louis
Glad the truth came out but I don’t think 6 months was enough punishment for the perpetrator. He should have been made to pay something as well or scrub the Luas line with a toothbrush for 6 months.
Fair play Louis, drinks are on you.
Have to agree, I think its ridiculous he’s actually appealing the severity of the sentence.
Agree one hundred percent. Making a false accusation is dreadful on two, of many, levels. There is the obvious distress to the wrong accused – it must be horrendous. Secondly, there have been many people in this country who were the victims of all manner of terrible abuses. It has been so difficult for those people to come forward and maybe many still remain silent. Louis Walshs’ false accuser, and any other false accuser, only add to the burdens of those who have yet to tell their story. Fair play to Louis Walsh.
Well done Louis, Don’t mess with the boys from the county Mayo.
Somebody would have to pull Louis’s face into a frown if the judgement went the other way. I’m not sure he’s capable of moving it on his own at this stage.
You have to read it twice. :)
IT’S FANNNTAAASTIC. HE DIDN’T GIVE UUUP. HE STUCK IN THERE AND ABSOLUTELY OWNED THE STAGE. HE SOOO DESERVES TO BE HERE…
LMFAO comment of the week,we have a winner
I’m sure like many people when I originally heard of this accusation I didn’t 100% disbelieve it. The awfulness of a published lie like this is people’s reaction is to either believe it or assume there’s something in it and not that’s a total lie. The Sun should be put out of business by people refusing to buy it. Maybe we can react in the same way as the people of Liverpool did to the lies about their dead fans. BOYCOTT THE SUN!
Fabricating a sexual assault is a more serious crime than committing one in this country.
he’d want to be saintly from now on then cos if he has anything to hide theyll be looking for it. they have half a million reasons to catch him out for something
He said its not all about the money. What he should do with it is give to some Organisation. He can afford to.
Maybe he will . Most people who donate to charities do not feel the need to brag about it !
but walsh makes his living off the back of the tabloids doesn’t he. i didn’t notice him jumping in when the same papers were routinely making allegations about all and sundry. the world walsh inhabits is primarily a tabloid world. double standards here i would have thought
Ah the scourge of the irish media get what they deserve!! Vermin
That giant no smoking sign is a monstrosity.
I would have liked the court case to continue though. The SUN ran a story of an “alleged assault”. That was what the story was about. Surely they could have claimed that they were only reporting an alleged assault and when the complaint fell thru would subsequently have reported thus. However, they settled fairly quickly …. Maybe there’s more to this than meets the eye. I mean surely the SUN would not have encouraged the man to go the Gardai and then scoop the story, perhaps having paid him to do so ?? Naw never!! Anyway Louis took the money so we’ll never know !
have your say