Sherwin loses costs battle with Sindo

Fianna Fail’s national organiser, Sean Sherwin, faces a six-figure legal bill after losing his battle for costs in his High Court libel action against the Sunday Independent.

Mr Sherwin won the libel case last week, but was awarded just £250 in damages.

The presiding judge, Justice Philip O’Sullivan, ruled today that Mr Sherwin could have taken his case to the lower Circuit Court and achieved the same result.

Because it would have cost Independent Newspapers less to defend a case in the lower court, Justice O’Sullivan ordered the Fianna Fail TD to pay half the company’s costs - estimated at around £100,000.

He must also pay his own legal bills.