BROADCASTER GEORGE Hook has been granted judgment against Tribune Newspapers plc in his damages claim for defamation of character in a Sunday Tribunearticle published last October.
Barrister Conor Feeney, counsel for Hook, the 69-year-old presenter of The Right Hookon Newstalk, told Dublin County Registrar's Court yesterday that judgment was sought because Tribune Newspapers had failed to enter any defence to his claim.
Mr Feeney told registrar Susan Ryan that the Tribunewas currently in receivership but the receiver had shown little interest in dealing with the claim.
He said the receiver initially engaged with Hook’s solicitors. There had since been no response to letters to the receiver’s legal solicitors, who said yesterday they were not opposing the application.
Ms Ryan said she would grant judgment in Hook’s favour and adjourn the matter to a future hearing for the purpose of having damages assessed by the Circuit Civil Court.
Mr Feeney earlier this week told the registrar that Hook, of Foxrock, Dublin 18, was abandoning an application to join a Sunday Tribunejournalist to the proceedings.
Hook had sought to join Eithne Tynan, Kilrush, Co Clare, to the proceedings on the grounds she was the author of the alleged defamatory article.
The registrar struck out the motion to join Tynan. Earlier this week, Hook said he was dropping his action against Tynan because of what he described as an orchestrated campaign against him by colleagues in the media.