Court hears INM exec 'imagined being lined up against the wall by Denis O'Brien'

An Independent News and Media executive has told the High Court he imagined last year he would be first up against the wall with a blindfold on if Denis O'Brien took over the company.

INM's Director of Corporate Affairs and Content Development Karl Brophy is trying to stop his dismissal, which he claims is based on allegations of misconduct that he's not been allowed address.

Mr Brophy told the court he was flattered to be headhunted by INM's former CEO Gavin O'Reilly but had reservations taking up the post last year.

The former journalist said he imagined he would be first up against the wall if O'Brien took control of Independent News and Media.

He said Mr O'Brien had succesfully sued him over an article he wrote in the Irish Mirror in1998.

He said he had also broken stories that weren't particularly favourable to the businessman.

Mr Brophy claims he was unlawfully dismissed a week after O'Reilly's departure last April because of his perceived closeness to the former CEO and because media coverage within INM of O'Brien in the wake of the Moriarty Tribunal had gone a bit too far.