I looked like Nana Mouskouri, Bono tells court

Bono today admitted he looked like singer Nana Mouskouri before Lola Cashman, the stylist at the centre of a High Court battle…

Bono today admitted he looked like singer Nana Mouskouri before Lola Cashman, the stylist at the centre of a High Court battle with the band, joined the U2 team.

The singer told Dublin's High Court he hired the Ms Cashman to bring some coherence to the band's look as it toured in America.

As Bono faced a second day of cross-examination, he also came face to face with some of the band's prized possessions which have landed him in the courtroom.

When a bright red Christmas bell with the words America Loves U2 1987 inscribed and two mugs — one which was chipped — were presented to him as he sat in the dock, the rock star laughed.

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However, he maintained Ms Cashman's apartment could be like an Aladdin's Cave, as it was only in recent years they realised how much memorabilia she had taken.

The U2 frontman spent a total of three-and-a-half hours in the witness box fighting to get his belongings back from his former stylist.

Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, was giving evidence at an appeal hearing brought by Ms Cashman against a court order demanding she return their belongings.

The band had last year successfully sued for the recovery of Bono's trademark Stetson hat, a pair of metal hooped earrings, a green sweatshirt and a pair of black trousers, which they said she took without permission.

Ms Cashman claims she was given the items, estimated to be worth €5,000, as gifts during U2's Joshua Tree tour in 1987.

In 2002, Ms Cashman put some of the items up for sale at Christie's. She claims two letters sent to the auction house from U2 lawyers seeking their return were defamatory.

She has since has started proceedings against the band in the High Court in London and maintains the band's claim was brought to stop the defamation case.

The band are also fighting for the return of a number of other items which had been seen in her apartment including a video tape, video monitor, rosary beads, hundreds of photographs, the mugs and Christmas decoration.

John Rogers SC, for Ms Cashman, said his client maintains she was gifted the items and that while Ms Cashman was clearing out the band members' clothing she filled black sacks to be disposed of.

"They shouldn't have been binned," said Bono, who wore a black suit, black shirt, black rosary beds, grey tie and rose tinted glasses.

"That would have been very unprofessional of her."

Mr Rogers suggested Ms Cashman had been her own boss.

"She certainly thought of herself as that," replied Bono.

"She certainly wasn't. Quite clearly she worked for U2."

Bono, 46, said it should have been an early warning sign to all of the band that something was amiss when Ms Cashman asked Larry Mullen for a pair of trainers - which she was given.

He maintained he never handed over items from his wardrobe to the stylist at the end of the tour, especially his iconic Stetson hat which had been his idea to use when promoting the album.