THE writer Hugh Leonard told the High Court yesterday that until the death of Robert Maxwell, he had never heard Maxwell's name mentioned in conjunction with Irish Taller magazine.
Mr Leonard was giving evidence on the fourth day of the libel action by Ms CampbellShame against the Sunday Independent and Mr Leonard over an article in his column on April 26th, 1992.
It stated: "A lady telephoned on behalf of Noelle Campbell Sharpe and asks if I should be gracing Phil the Fluther's Ball in Killarney. It is only a few months since, after Captain Bob had gone a `bob-bob-bobbing'," Ms Noelle Campbell Sharpe's publishing company went to the wall owing me £5,000 for services rendered.
"The lady did not call then with her commiserations or to ask me if I was in need of a crust. But I am glad to see that she herself, to no one's surprise, avoided the workhouse. I hope she will forgive my not attending the Kerry Ball. To use an expression much in vogue across the Atlantic, I gave at the office."
When the hearing opened on Tuesday, Mr Rex Mackey SC, for Ms Campbell-Sharpe, said at the time, a Maxwell Group company owned ITP and his client had sold her shareholdings to them.
Ms Campbell-Sharpe told the hearing that after transferring her shareholding, there was an agreement she was to act as consultant to Maxwell Irish Publications.
The company came up with the idea of an Irish hotels and restaurants guide and she felt Mr Leonard was the person to write for it. She recommended a £5,000 payment on publication and another £5,000 after 30 days.
She did not know at the time a clause had been inserted, contrary to what she had proposed, promising payment of the entire £10,000 in the event of non publication.
In evidence yesterday, Mr Leonard said his initial contact with Ms Noelle Campbell Sharpe was a phone call from her in early 1991 in which she spoke of something that could be to their mutual advantage. They met at the Grey Door restaurant and discussed the proposed guide.
The arrangement was that he was to get £5,000 on publication and £5,000 within 30 days. His recollection was that he got a document later but he could not remember it being shown to him at the lunch. He indicated his acceptance in principle at the lunch.
Mr Frank Clarke SC, for the defence, said Ms Campbell Sharpe had said in evidence that she had shown Mr Leonard the annual report of the Maxwell Group when they met for lunch and discussed Maxwell's involvement in Irish Taller with him.
Mr Leonard said that was not correct. He was not made conscious of a connection with the Maxwell Group. He always assumed that Ms Campbell Sharpe was the principal person with whom he was dealing, and that it was her company.
Once he found out about the liquidation, he regarded the second £5,000 payment as forfeit. He got on the list of creditors and signed a form.
Mr Leonard said a lady had phoned and said she was calling on behalf of Ms Campbell Sharpe and asked if he was interested in buying tickets for the ball. He was told it was a charitable event and that Ms Campbell Sharpe was promoting it.
"I said I always made it a rule since I was young never to go to dances from which I could not cycle home," he added.
Asked about his reaction to the phone call, he said it was not about Ms Campbell Sharpe's integrity, for which he had the highest respect. It was simply about manners. He thought the call was cheeky and that was the only reason he wrote the piece.
Under crossexamination by Mr Mackey, Mr Leonard said he was not trying to discredit Ms Campbell Sharpe in any way.
Mr Leonard said he had not stated Ms Campbell Sharpe owed the money. He had said her publishing company had gone to the wall owing him £5,000. He had never implied it was a personal debt owed to him by her.
All he was suggesting was that Ms Campbell Sharpe could have rung and said she was sorry about what had happened.
The hearing continues next Tuesday.