THE BBC agreed yesterday to pay substantial libel damages to the Belfast firm of solicitors that defended Paratrooper Lee Clegg. The amount is believed to be in excess of £150,000.
The corporation also apologised to the five partners in the firm of McCartan, Turkington, Breen. They are Mr Bernard Turkington, Mr. Damien Breen, Mr Ernest Telford, Mr Gerald McVeigh and Mr Michael Bennett.
In the High Court in Belfast, they sued the BBC arising out of two national news broadcasts on January 23rd, 1995, concerning the firm's conduct of Clegg's defence when he was convicted of murdering Karen Reilly (18) in 1990.
Ms Reilly was a passenger in a stolen car which went through a roadblock in west Belfast. The driver, Martin Peake, was also shot dead.
The case was settled after a jury had been sworn to hear it and the amount of damages was not disclosed. The settlement entailed an apology, which was read in court by counsel for the BBC, stating that comments and material in the broadcasts had incorrectly and without justification improperly reflected on the expertise and conduct of McCartan, Turkington, Breen.
It said: "The BBC unreservedly accepts that Lee Clegg received expert and professional legal representation and it acknowledges and accepts that his conviction could not, and should not, be considered in any way as an adverse reflection on his lawyers' conduct or ability.
"The BBC is pleased to set the record straight by apologising and agreeing to pay the firm substantial damages.
The libel action arose out of remarks by Lord St Oswald (76), a former officer in the Parachute Regiment, at a news conference calling for Clegg's release six months before he was freed on licence in July 1995.
Five English newspapers were, also sued for libel over their reports of the news conference. They have paid the legal firm a total of £455,000.
Clegg's case has been referred back to the Court of Appeal after the emergence of new forensic evidence.