Defamation - media and entertainment - damages

Statements in open court: newspapers: daily mail: libel: publishers: publications: wills.

Karen Phillips -v- (1) Associated Newspapers Ltd (2) Rebecca Hardy (2004)

Statement in open court made in libel proceedings following the publication of a newspaper article alleging manipulative and selfish behaviour on the part of the claimant.

Statement in open court following a libel action brought by the claimant, Miss Karen Phillips (P), longstanding friend and companion of the late George Carman QC (C), against the defendant publishers (D) of the Daily Mail newspaper (the newspaper) following the publication of an article accusing P of manipulating C into amending his will to P's benefit. The article alleged that P was motivated only by her potential financial gain and not concerns for C's health in nursing C, that P had refused to deliver personal affects to C's son. In fact D had previously published similar allegations against P and had already apologised for those.

D apologised for making the allegations and made an undertaking not to repeat them. D accepted that P did not set out to deliberately influence C in drawing up his will and offered P substantial damages and costs.

"Lawtel" 16.2.04