A BUSINESSWOMAN, Ms Noelle Campbell-Sharpe, claimed in the High Court yesterday that she was libelled in the "Leonard's Log" column in the Sunday Independent.
In an action before Mr Justice Geoghegan and a jury, she is suing Independent Newspapers and the writer Hugh Leonard. The article was published on April 26th, 1992.
It said. "A lady telephones 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 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 work house. 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."
It is claimed the words meant and were understood to mean that an insolvent publishing company, owned by Ms Campbell-Sharpe, owed Mr Leonard £5,000 and that she was a selfish or dishonourable person, uncaring for the welfare of a person who had rendered his service to her publishing company for which she had not paid him.
Ms Campbell-Sharpe claims that by the publication of the words she had been injured in her credit and reputation and had been brought into ridicule and contempt. She claims that the defendants, by virtue of a statement which had been circulated to them, were aware that the article was malicious and untrue.
Mr Rex Mackey SC, for Ms Campbell-Sharpe, said that at the time a Maxwell Group company owned Irish Tatler Publications "lock, stock and barrel".
He added that in a statement dated February 2nd, 1992, it was said that on October 4th, 1989, she had sold 51 per cent of the issued share capital of Irish Tatler Publications Ltd - publisher of IT magazine - to the Maxwell Group. As of that date, added counsel, Maxwell now held the majority share holding in ITP. In January 1991 she divested herself of the remaining 49 per cent.
The defence admits it published the words complained of but denies that it bore the meanings claimed or that they were defamatory. It is denied that Ms Campbell-Sharpe had been injured in her credit or reputation as alleged or at all.
In his opening address, Mr Mackey said his client had been orphaned at 14 years of age. She had to leave school and was brought up by foster parents. At the time of the article she was a prominent businesswoman.
Mr Mackey said that in 1979 she was in a situation to acquire 100 per cent in ITP.
Ms Campbell-Shade disposed of 51 per cent of her share holding in 1989 in ITP. But she was taken in by "one of the greatest confidence tricksters of not just this century but of all time", the late Robert Maxwell.
Mr Mackey said that in 1990 Ms Campbell-Sharpe had formed a company because she appreciated she was bound under the arrangement with Mr Maxwell to "dance to the tune called by - Maxwell".
On the insistence of Mr Maxwell, said Mr Mackey, she was to become a non-executive director in the company, although she had no share holding in it.
Counsel said Ms Campbell-Sharpe would say that part of the deal, when she sold 51 per cent of the company, was that she would have a service contract at £40,000 a year for five years.
Mr Mackey said that in her capacity as a consultant to the Maxwell group she had approached Mr Leonard with a view to publishing a book to be entitled A Guide to Irish Hotels. At the time, and to the knowledge of the defendants, Mr Maxwell owned ITP "lock stock and barrel".
In February 1992, said counsel, the Irish Independent published a report stating that ITP had been put into liquidation with debts of £2 million and realisable assets of only £250,000.