Newspaper settles defamation case

The Sunday World has apologised, and agreed to pay undisclosed damages, to a Bank of Ireland employee under a settlement of his legal action alleging defamation in an article concerning a €7.6m tiger kidnapping heist in Dublin.

The damages to be paid to Shane Travers are understood to be substantial.

The newspaper accepted he was a “wholly innocent victim” of the tiger kidnappers and was subjected to a “terrifying ordeal” when he and his then-girlfriend Stephanie Smith’s family were apprehended by a violent criminal gang.