Joanna Yates - Landlord wins damages

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16039753


Joanna Yeates' Landlord Wins Libel Damages

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Joanna Yeates's landlord Chris Jefferies has won "substantial" undisclosed libel damages from eight newspapers over allegations made against him over her death.

Chris Jefferies former English teacher suspected of killing landscape architect Joanna Yeates

Mr Jefferies has accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages

Mr Jefferies was not at London's High Court for the settlement of his actions against the publishers of the Sun, the Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror, the Daily Mail, the Daily Record, the Daily Express, the Daily Star and the Scotsman.

His solicitor, Louis Charalambous, said the newspapers had acknowledged the falsity of the allegations in question which were contained in over 40 articles published in late December 2010 and early January 2011.

Speaking outside court, he added: "Christopher Jefferies is the latest victim of the regular witch hunts and character assassination conducted by the worst elements of the British tabloid media.

"Many of the stories published in these newspapers are designed to 'monster' the individual, in flagrant disregard for his reputation, privacy and rights to a fair trial.

"These newspapers have now apologised to him and paid substantial damages but they do so knowing that once the conditional fee agreement rules are changed next year victims of tabloid witch hunts will no longer have the same access to justice."

Joanna Yeates

Joanna Yeates was murdered in Bristol

Lawyer Bambos Tsiattalou, senior partner at Stokoe Partnership, advised Mr Jefferies following his arrest on December 30, 2010 on suspicion of Ms Yeates's murder - he was released on unconditional bail two days later and subsequently released from bail with no further action.

Following the settlement, he said: "We warned the media by letter, immediately following Mr Jefferies' arrest, in the strongest possible terms to desist from publishing stories which were damaging or defamatory.

"We were dismayed that our warnings went unheeded and are pleased that the newspapers, in settling Mr Jefferies' claims, have acknowledged the extent of the damage to his reputation."

Thanks chrissie
Good for him. The press should think seriously before stating/printing anything about anyone but I think we all know they won't!

Hi wjk,

Yes I'm pleased for him. It just makes it more amazing that they never printed anything similar about G & K.

@JudiciaryUK Judicial Office
High Court finds Daily Mirror and The Sun in contempt over Chris Jefferies articles and now considering penalties t.co/w7wQ7NU

chrissie wrote:Hi wjk,

Yes I'm pleased for him. It just makes it more amazing that they never printed anything similar about G & K.

Yes, the silence is deafening.

Wasn"t it the Express who had to fork out £550,000 to the McCanns and £350,000 to the Tapas 7 for libel, suggesting they were swingers etc? they
also received £1,000 from some of the smaller papers and an apology .

Panda wrote:Wasn"t it the Express who had to fork out £550,000 to the McCanns and £350,000 to the Tapas 7 for libel, suggesting they were swingers etc? they
also received £1,000 from some of the smaller papers and an apology .

I wasn't aware that we ever found out which articles they considered libellous?

mumbles wrote:

Panda wrote:Wasn"t it the Express who had to fork out £550,000 to the McCanns and £350,000 to the Tapas 7 for libel, suggesting they were swingers etc? they
also received £1,000 from some of the smaller papers and an apology .

I wasn't aware that we ever found out which articles they considered libellous?

Yes,it was definitely swingers, that"s why they all got a payout, I think too much drinking as well .

Panda wrote:

mumbles wrote:

Panda wrote:Wasn"t it the Express who had to fork out £550,000 to the McCanns and £350,000 to the Tapas 7 for libel, suggesting they were swingers etc? they
also received £1,000 from some of the smaller papers and an apology .

I wasn't aware that we ever found out which articles they considered libellous?

Yes,it was definitely swingers, that"s why they all got a payout, I think too much drinking as well .

This is from the Guardian...

Sky's crime correspondent Martin Brunt, who broke the story, said that aside from the courtroom apology "there will also be apologies in the Daily Express and Daily Star , and we can expect something similar in the Sunday Express."

He added: "The friends had complained about around two dozen articles in which they claimed they were libelled; accusations that they had covered up the truth of what had happened to Madeleine, allegations that they had obstructed the authorities and even allegations that one of them had been involved in Madeleine's disappearance."

It says similar in other articles but I can't find anything that mentions the swinging or drinking!

Are you absolutely sure?