Bainisteoir idea was Looney’s, says judge

A HIGH Court judge said yesterday he was satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that Daily Mail columnist Fiona Looney was the originator of the idea behind the RTÉ series Celebrity Bainisteoir and dismissed a case against both her and RTÉ alleging they had stolen the idea.

Businessman Patrick Kinsella, of Callohiill, Newtown, Co Wicklow, who was not legally represented, claimed he had submitted the original idea entitled Top Coach/Top Team to RTÉ in August 2007.

Evidence was given by Ms Looney and a number of RTÉ witnesses that the idea was first submitted to the television station by the journalist in 2004.