Two Dublin brothers have lost their libel action against a newspaper that published an article they claimed identified them as serious criminals.
Alan Bradley and his brother Wayne took the High Court action over an article published in the Star Sundaynewspaper on June 13th, 2004.
The brothers claimed the article meant they were the leaders of the most dangerous gang in Dublin's underworld and had made €4 million out of the proceeds of transit robberies, gun crime and money-laundering.
Alan (32) from Churchfield, Kentstown, Co Meath, and Wayne Bradley (27), of Cherryfield Lawn, Clonsilla, have sued Independent Star Ltd, Terenure Road North, Dublin, publisher of the newspaper.
The Star Sundayclaimed the brothers were not identified in the article and were not defamed by it.
A jury of eight women and two men took just under two hours to find that the brothers were not identified in the article following a five day trial.
The extended article over two pages was accompanied by photographs with the faces blanked out and captioned: "The Fat Heads. Pictured this week by Star Sunday, the brothers aged 25 and 31 are responsible for a series of lucrative armed raids over the past four years."
It was claimed the article said the brothers were leaders of the most dangerous criminal gang operating in Dublin's underworld and were guilty of carrying out armed raids and robberies. It was also claimed the article could be understood to mean the brothers had made €4 million out of the proceeds of cash-in-transit robberies, gun crime and money-laundering and were guilty of murder, violence and intimidation.