THE journalist at the centre of Mr Albert Reynolds's libel action did not have notes on which the article complained of was based. Nor did he talk to Mr Reynolds or any Fianna Fail minister before he wrote it.
Mr Alan Ruddock, the Irish editor of the Sunday Times at the time, was giving evidence on the ninth day of the libel action against the newspaper in the High Court in London.
Asked by counsel for Mr Reynolds if he had taken any notes for the article, he said "No". "Not a single note?" "No".
He said he spoke to Mr Fergus Finlay, described by counsel for Mr Reynolds as "Mr Dick Spring's spin doctor".
Mr Finlay arrived in court during his evidence, and will give evidence on behalf of the Sunday Times today.
He is the only witness to be called by either side, apart from those directly involved and Mr Reynolds's daughter, Ms Miriam Fogarty, who gave evidence on Wednesday
Earlier it was expected that some of those who were Fianna Fail ministers in the Fianna Fail/Labour coalition, like Mr Charlie McCreevy and Mr Noel Dempsey, would be called by Mr Reynolds. But on Wednesday his counsel, Lord Gareth Williams, said he had concluded his case with Ms Fogarty.
Mr Ruddock told counsel for the Sunday Times, Mr James Price, that he had tried to contact Mr Reynolds through the government press office and the Fianna Fail press office, but was unsuccessful.
Mr Price read to him a section of an editorial in The Irish Times which was published earlier in the week and which was very critical of the then Taoiseach.
"Did you find the Irish Times quote you reproduced here surprising?" he asked.
"Not in the context of what they had written the previous day," replied Mr Ruddock. "It gave a good indication of how far things had gone. It was a very savage political obituary, especially as the man was credited by everyone, including by me, with the peace process.
He told his counsel that he had the Fianna Fail version of events available to him through an article written by Mr Vincent Browne and published in the Irish edition of the paper, but had decided not to use it because his judgment was that Fianna Fail ministers had lied to the Dail and to their Labour colleagues, and this was why the Labour Party left the government.
"If nothing wrong was happening, why did the Government fall?" he asked. "If Reynolds had been acting honestly and straight, The Irish Times would not have written what it did. I felt I was not alone in my view."
Another Sunday Times journalist whose name was on the articles, but who said only a small amount of his work was used, agreed with Lord Williams that the article was "wholly, completely, utterly" against Mr Reynolds.