Communications consultant Monica Leech has claimed in the High Court she was defamed by the Evening Heraldduring its 2004 coverage of her work as special adviser to then Environment Minister Martin Cullen.
She claims the Heraldpublished articles in November and December 2004 in which it falsely claimed she got government public relations contracts because she was having an affair with the Minister.
Ms Leech (49) of Otteran Place, South Parade, Waterford, has brought libel proceedings against Independent Newspapers (Irl) Ltd which denies the claims.
The case opened today before Mr Justice Eamon deValera and a jury of five men and seven women. It is expected to last three weeks.
Ms Leech says, in her statement of claim, that she was employed to act as a consultant to the Department of Environment and Local Government initially, in 2002, on €650 per day contract and in 2003, at €800 per day. Her work involved promoting various projects which Mr Cullen’s department was responsible for.
She claims the Heraldlibelled her by claiming she was being paid €1,200 per day which, the paper said, was more than was provided for under the terms of her engagement by the Department.
Ms Leech, who is married, also claims that later articles falsely stated she had been engaged by the Department because she was having an extra-marital affair with Mr Cullen. She also claims that one of the articles claimed she was hiding the truth about having an extra-marital affair.
The Independent says the material published was true in substance and in fact in its natural and ordinary meanings and not those meanings contended by Ms Leech.
It claims there were legitimate questions as to whether the process by which her appointment as consultant was made had complied with best standards and whether her work represented value for taxpayers’ money.
There were also legitimate questions as to the necessity and usefulness of the work Ms Leech carried out, the newspaper group says.
The Independent also says there were legitimate questions as to whether he appointment as adviser in July 2002 was influenced by her connections with Minister Cullen. It says there had been suggestions to the effect that she and Mr Cullen were conducting an affair and that the Minister had denied these suggestions.
It also argues there were legitimate questions about a decision of a group, of which Ms Leech was a member, to recommend the awarding of a contract to provide advice for an electronic voting publicity campaign to another group which had connections with FF.
There were further questions about whether her work in fundraising for Mr Cullen was a conflict of interest and whether her attendance on several foreign trips as a member of the Department was justifiable, the Independent says.
Opening the case, Paul O’Higgins SC for Ms Leech, said Ms Leech had built up her public relations business having worked very successfully in the role of President of the Waterford Chamber of Commerce. While she had met Mr Cullen in this capacity she could not have been described as being an FF supporter and could in fact be better described as having had “PD leanings”, counsel said.
When Mr Cullen became the first senior Minister to be appointed to the Waterford area in 50 years, she was approached to handle PR for him in relation to a number of matters and got two contracts, one of six months and another of two years.
Mr O'Higgins said the Herald, in its series of articles, began its campaign to "destroy" her reputation initially in a snide nudge and wink way before going on to make ultimately unsustainable suggestions that there was something "going on" between her and Mr Cullen.
Mr O'Higgins said descriptions of Ms Leech, who was 42 at the time, as a "pretty PR girl" was done on the basis that sex sells newspapers. The Heraldwanted to damage Martin Cullen and if there was collateral damage in which her life was destroyed, this was necessary because it was "paper selling journalism", Mr O'Higgins said.
One of the photographs used by the Herald had been “doctored” to give the impression that Ms Leech and Mr Cullen were on a night out when in fact she was at a function which was also attended by a number of senior politicians, Mr O’Higgins said.
The hearing continues.