THE journalist at the centre of Mr Albert Reynolds's libel action was accused of preventing Mr Reynolds from suing the Sunday Times in Ireland by the "cowardly device" of only publishing a story in an English edition.
Counsel for Mr Reynolds, Lord Gareth Williams, was cross examining Mr Alan Ruddock, author of the article headed "Goodbye Gombeen Man", and Irish editor of the Sunday Times at the time.
He said that the defence was accusing Mr Reynolds of suing in England because it could not compel witnesses to come to London to give evidence. He asked Mr Ruddock if he knew that evidence could be brought from Ireland either through being recorded before a judge there, or by video link. Mr Ruddock said he was not competent to judge that.
"Do you think it's fair to accuse Mr Reynolds of suing in this country in order to avoid his accusers?" he asked.
"I think it's fair to ask why he did not sue other papers," replied Mr Ruddock.
Lord Williams repeated the question, adding "despite the fact that you made sure he could not sue in Dublin by the fact that you didn't have the guts to publish in Dublin?"
"No," replied Mr Ruddock.
Lord Williams produced an article entitled "House of Cards", by Vincent Browne and published only in the Irish edition of the Sunday Times, which gave an account of the events which led to the fall of the government.
"When the Vincent Browne article was written did you adopt and accept it?" he asked.
"Yes. I disagreed with elements of it," said Mr Ruddock.
"Does Vincent Browne have the best political contacts in Dublin?" asked Lord Williams.
"One of the best."
"The best, of anyone in the Sunday Times."
"Yes."
"Better than yours or John Burns's?"
"Yes."
"He set out both sides?"
"Yes."
"Truthfully?"
"Honestly."
Later, Lord Williams pressed Mr Ruddock on why the Browne article had not been published in England, and his, with very different contents, was published there instead. Mr Browne had put the true case, Lord Williams suggested.
"His case," said Mr Ruddock.
"The true case?"
"His case. I was deliberately using Vincent..."
"You wouldn't adopt an article which was false, would you?" asked Lord Williams.
"I had disagreed with the tone," Mr Ruddock replied.
Lord Williams then asked him if Mr Fergus Finlay was Mr Dick Spring's "spin doctor".
"That's a pejorative term" replied Mr Ruddock.
"He leaks to journalists?"
"He talks to journalists."
"He spoke to you on Mr Spring's behalf?"
"On his own behalf."
Lord Williams asked him if it was not his responsibility as a journalist and editor to inform the people living in the Republic and in Northern Ireland of what had happened that week. Mr Ruddock accepted this.
"Why did you not tell them that their leader was a liar and a gombeen man?"
Mr Ruddock explained again that it was necessary to include more background material when writing for an English audience.
"When you called him a gombeen man did you think it was insulting?"
"No."
He then asked him if he had called Mr Reynolds a liar in the Irish edition, if he had said Mr Reynolds had sullied Ireland's reputation abroad, damaged the church and given Northern unionists a "fistful of reasons" to avoid "contamination" by the South. Mr Ruddock replied "No".