Former U2 stylist Lola Cashman said today she had been incredibly frightened when she was accused of taking items worn by the band’s singer Bono while on tour.
The band is seeking the return of an iconic Stetson hat, a pair of metal hoop earrings, a pair of black trousers and a green sweatshirt, all of which were worn by Bono during the 1987 Joshua Tree tour.
On the second day of the case at Dublin Circuit Civil Court, Ms Cashman said she had never been made aware of any problem with her possession of the items until she was contacted by U2's lawyer in 2002.
"I was intimidated over the phone by a big firm of lawyers. I was incredibly frightened," she said.
Ms Cashman had attempted to put the items up for auction at Christie's in London, but they were held back after U2 questioned their ownership. She told the court that she was given the items as gifts by Bono, who had recruited her to update the band's image.
"I did not steal those pieces. They were given to me," she said.
She left the band in 1988 after failing to agree negotiations on a new contract and went on to work as a stylist with George Michael and the Pet Shop Boys.
"I was proud of what I had achieved with the band. Bono liked wearing hats and I changed his style slightly," she said.
But senior counsel Paul Sreenan, representing U2, accused her of exaggerating her role in creating the band's image. He produced a 20-second video clip which showed Bono shopping with Barry Devlin, the lead singer of the Irish band, the Horslips, in 1987 and purchasing a black Stetson hat.
Ms Cashman said that hat was not in the U2 wardrobe when she arrived and added that her job was to provide the band with a complete image.
"Just because Bono had a Stetson on his head, doesn't create an iconic image. It's a whole compilation of an outfit and a hat," she said.
Her defence counsel, Martin Dully, later brandished the actual Stetson hat in court and got Ms Cashman to confirm that it was a different colour to the hat shown in the video.
After the conclusion of Ms Cashman's cross examination, Judge Matthew Deery said he hoped to deliver his judgment in the case next Tuesday.