A stylist hired by U2 during the late 1980s to create a new image for the band denied in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday she had "stolen" clothes worn by Bono on the Joshua Tree world tour.
Lola Cashman told the court she had given the group a "raunchy and rough" cowboy look featured in the subsequent live concert film Rattle and Hum. She had done a "fantastic job", she said. And as the tour came to an end in late 1987, Bono gave her items, including a pair of trousers, a Stetson hat, and earrings.
However, the four U2 members, Paul Hewson (aka Bono), Adam Clayton, David Evans and Laurence Mullen, have asked the Circuit Court president, Mr Justice Matthew Deery, for a declaration that the items belong to the rock group and not to Ms Cashman.
Bono told the court that the band took great care of their memorabilia, and said the Stetson hat in particular had achieved "iconic status". If he had "in a moment of madness" given it away, he would have been "in trouble" with his fellow band members. But he did not.
The court heard that the hat, trousers, a pair of cheap costume ear-rings and a sweatshirt were offered for sale by Ms Cashman at a Christie's rock memorabilia auction in London in 2002.
Senior counsel Paul Sreenan said the band's drummer Larry Mullen now conceded that he had probably given Ms Cashman an old pair of his shoes which he had personally autographed and these were no longer a part of the band's claim.
Bono told senior counsel Hugh Hartnett, for Ms Cashman, that he had definitely never gifted the Stetson and trousers to her but possibly may have told her she could have the earrings and sweat shirt.
He said items of rock band tour wardrobes were inevitably archived after tours, some eventually appearing on show in rock memorabilia museums.
Bono told Mr Hartnett, who appeared with Martin Dully, that Ms Cashman had been very successful at helping to change the image of the group and was rightly proud of her success. "She had a very good eye."
He said she had bought many items of wardrobe for the group on its tour. He agreed she had trousers designed and made for him in different sizes because his weight was prone to "oscillate". He admitted he had a weight problem but, then, so had Elvis.
He denied he had gifted all of the items to Ms Cashman in a moment of exhilaration and giddiness during a period of great excitement on the last night of the hugely successful Joshua Tree tour, towards which Ms Cashman had contributed.
Bono said Ms Cashman had a collection of 200 polaroid photographs taken during the tour which he wanted returned.
Mr Sreenan told the court that Ms Cashman had acted as stylist to the group during the tour which had started in 1987. There had been difficulties between her and various members of the crew and management.
Ms Cashman would have legitimately taken a number of items to her London apartment for work on the completion of the film Rattle and Hum about U2 and the tour.
She had full access to the group's wardrobe on tour and would have had privileged access to all members of the group. Items of wardrobe might be seen as relatively unimportant but had gained almost iconic status among fans.
Mr Sreenan said that while there had been ongoing legal disputes between Ms Cashman and U2 since the Joshua Tree tour, there had been relative calm until 2002 when the items complained of turned up for sale in a Christie's auction catalogue.
Christie's had written to the group over the provenance of the items and it was then that U2's solicitors had written asking that they be withheld from sale until inquiries could be made about their ownership.
He said Ms Cashman had also taken advantage of her privileged access to the group on the tour to write a book, In the Zoo with U2. Ms Cashman told Mr Dully she had been employed by the band as distinct from its management and this had created some problems from day one. Management felt she had been "getting too big" for her boots.
Ms Cashman said Bono had gifted her the trousers and sweatshirt after the tour. They had been piled on the floor with other items which were going to be binned in a black bag. He had also told her she could have the Stetson hat and earrings. The case continues today.