December decision over Dana defamation case

A judge hopes to give his decision in December on the High Court case taken by former presidential candidate and singer Dana Rosemary Scallon seeking that her sister and niece put up money to cover the legal bill which would arise should they lose their defamation case against Dana.

The defamation action arises out of a 2011 TV interview when Ms Scallon was asked about allegations of sexual abuse made against Dana’s brother John.

Susan Stein and her daughter Susan Gorrell, both living in Iowa, US, have taken separate High Court actions alleging Dana defamed them in the TV3 interview in October 2011 during the presidential election campaign.

Dana, they claim, made statements which meant both women maliciously made up claims Ms Gorrell was sexually abused between 1971-81 by her uncle, John Brown. They claim the allegations of abuse are true.

Mr Brown, 62, of Bracknell, Berkshire, England, was cleared in July 2014 of charges of indecent assault of two girls aged under 13 and 16 at several locations in Northern Ireland and England in the 1970s and 80s.

After final submissions yesterday from both sides, after a three-day hearing, Mr Justice Eagar said he hoped to give a decision in early December.