ALBERT Reynolds may have to pay an estimated £1 million in legal costs after yesterday's decision by a London jury to award him "zero damages", despite agreeing that he had been libelled by the Sunday Times.
Outside the court, Mr Reynolds said he intended to appeal against the jury's decision and dismissed the Sunday Times' pre-trial settlement offer of £5,005 as "an insult".
"I took this case to clear my good name and to uphold my reputation. I am pleased that the jury agreed that I am not a liar. In relation to the other aspects of their decision, this will be the subject of discussions between me and my legal team.
"I am not prepared to let these other aspects rest here. My main purpose, as I have said, in coming here was I will not be called a liar by somebody. They are going to have to prove it and they failed to prove it."
After thanking his wife, Kathleen, and his seven children for their support, the former Taoiseach insisted that he had no regrets in bringing the case. He said many of his Fianna Fail colleagues had offered to give evidence for him but his legal team had decided they were not necessary.
"I have always said there is a price to be paid for the truth and I was prepared to pay that price. Whatever that price is remains to be seen," he said.
Mr Reynolds smiled and winked at the Irish journalists in the press box when the jury foreman said they agreed that the Sunday Times had libelled Mr Reynolds by accusing him of misleading the Dail and lying to his cabinet colleagues over the extradition of the paedophile priest, Brendan Smyth.
The "zero damages" award provoked gasps in the court, and Mr Reynolds put his head in his hands for a few moments. His barrister, Lord Gareth Williams QC, shook his head. Mr James Price, counsel for the Sunday Times, smiled broadly.
Then in answer to the fifth question, the foreman told the court that, again by a majority of 10-1, they believed the Sunday Times article had "correctly" reported Mr Spring's reasons that he believed Mr Reynolds had lied to him and misled the Dail and so had ended their coalition government.
AFTER the verdict, the Reynolds camp immediately huddled in a corner discuss its implications with their barristers, while the Sunday Times side savoured their victory, describing their delight to the media. One said: "If I was Albert Reynolds I would be feeling bloody miserable now."
With his wife, Jackie, in tears, Mr Ruddock described the verdict as "a relief" and praised the jury for their "intelligence".
"I feel sorry for Mr Reynolds - the result is more humiliating. I am really pleased about being cleared of malice, it is rare for a jury to find a journalist guilty of libel but not of malice," he added.
A clearly delighted Mr Price described the result as "a good victory for the Sunday Times" and pledged that the paper would fight to ensure that Mr Reynolds paid all their legal costs.
"It is a good result," he added. "I am only sorry that the case was not fought in Ireland. It would have been much better for these matters to be debated and discussed in that country rather than over here."
Mr John Witherow, the Sunday Times editor, pointed out that Lord Williams had asked for "massive damages" of up to £125,000 for his client but the jury had "decided his reputation had not been damaged and he did not deserve even a penny".
Although Lord Williams refused to comment on the verdict, insisting that he could not talk "about his client's affairs", sources in the Reynolds camp described him as "furious".
Outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand, Mr Philip Reynolds said his father was "a fighter". The family did not have regrets in bringing the case but "it will be a high price to pay for justice if it continues to stand this way", he acknowledged.
Speaking from their rented London apartment, Mrs Reynolds, who only attended the first few days of the hearing, said she was "thrilled" by the verdict and dismissed any suggestion of a £1 million legal bill as "the least of my worries".
"Ten out of II jurors have found my husband is not a liar and that means so much to me. That is what he came here for and I am thrilled, I really am. We have had costs before and we overcame all that. That is the least of my worries, to tell you the truth," she added.