Man denies calling model a racist

RYANAIR’S head of communications has denied calling former Miss World Rosanna Davison a racist after she complained that no Irish girls were used by Ryanair in its annual charity calendar.

Stephen McNamara said the press release he posted on Ryanair’s website on November 11, 2008, was not an attack on Ms Davison herself but rather on comments she had made. It was “pretty juvenile” for her to take High Court proceedings for defamation over it, he believed.

He denied suggestions that the press release was an “unjustified”, “unprovoked” and “vicious” attack on Ms Davison, that Ryanair is a “corporate bully” and was using the case to generate publicity.

The press release was issued to ensure people were aware Ms Davison’s comments were unjustified, he said.

He denied he was trying to be “smart” in his replies to correspondence with her solicitors where he described her remarks as “stupid” and “ill-considered”. He said he was responding to an attack by a model who “should have known better” and whom he still believed was “silly” to have become involved.

Ms Davison’s father, singer Chris De Burgh, had threatened to sue him and he may have been “defensive” as a result of being threatened with legal action by “wealthy and well-known persons”, he said.

He was giving evidence in the continuing action by Ms Davison, who claims the press release defamed her by suggesting incorrectly that she was racist, xenophobic and jealous.

Ryanair denies defamation, denies the release contains the alleged meanings and pleads it was “fair comment” on matters of public interest.

The cross-examination of Mr McNamara continues today.