High Court Rules Walsh Entitled To All Sun Newspaper Documents

The High Court has ruled that Louis Walsh is entitled to discovery of documents relating to the Sun newspaper’s investigation into a Garda inquiry of an alleged sex attack by him on a man in a nightclub bathroom.

Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill today ruled that Walsh was entitled to all documents associated with the crime writer Joanne McElgunn’s investigation into assertions and allegations concerning Walsh and the man who made the claim, Leonard Watters.

He said Walsh was entitled to any documentation referring to the booking of a hotel room for Leonard Watters in June 2011 and directed discovery of bank statements, text messages, emails and records of phone calls relating to the story.

The judge’s orders also apply to the Sun’s Irish editor Michael McNiff; Gordon Smart, journalist with the Sun and Dominic Mohan, editor of the newspaper.

Walsh has sued Newsgroup Newspapers Limited, which publishes the Sun, for damages, including aggravated and exemplary damages, for defamation of character arising out of the article that was published in the Sun newspaper on June 23rd, 2011 and on their website on the same date.

(H)