Former Sunday Independentjournalist, Gayle Killilea, who is married to developer Sean Dunne, has settled her High Court libel proceedings against the Mail newspaper group over false claims gardaí were investigating allegations of improper accessing of mobile phone messages.
Mrs Dunne had sued Associated Newspapers Ltd over an article published on July 30th 2006 in the Ireland on Sundaynewspaper, now the Irish Mail on Sunday.
The proceedings were listed for hearing yesterday but Mr Justice Eamon De Valera was told the action had settled.
The terms of settlement included an apology read out in court yesterday by Eoin McCullough SC, for the defendant.
In that apology, the defendant said it was wrongly stated in the IOS article that a garda investigation into the improper accessing of phone messages had involved allegations made by five identified people against Mrs Dunne.
The newspaper group said it now accepted this was incorrect.
“We also accept Mrs Dunne was never contacted by the garda in relation to any such alleged complaints”, the statement said. Associated Newspapers wished to apologise to Ms Dunne for any suggestion to the contrary, it added.
Mel Christle SC, for Mrs Dunne, asked the court that a Garda Superintendent Brian Sutton, who has been subpoenaed to give evidence, be allowed to stand down and the judge agreed.
In a press statement issued afterwards by solicitors for Mrs Dunne solicitors, Johnsons, it was stated the sides were “happy to say that they have resolved their differences and have reached an amicable settlement.”
It was stated, as part of the settlement, the newspaper group has also agreed to pay Ms Dunne a sum in damages and costs along with the apology which was read out yesterday and will also appear in next Sunday's Irish Mail on Sunday.
The statement added both parties have signed a confidentiality clause on the terms of the settlement and were not therefore able to comment further on them.
