Heather Humphreys stands over comments about Paul Murphy despite threat of legal action

Presidential candidates Heather Humphreys, left, made the comments about Paul Murphy during a debate with Catherine Connolly.

Heather Humphreys has stood by comments she made about People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, despite being threatened with defamation proceedings.

Ms Humphreys made the comments during a debate on RTÉ Radio on Sunday, referring to an incident in Jobstown in 2014 involving former Labour Party leader Joan Burton.

In 2017, Mr Murphy was found not guilty of false imprisonment of Ms Burton.

Mr Murphy’s solicitors formally sent a legal letter to Ms Humphreys on Monday evening, saying the TD intends to issue defamation proceedings in the High Court within seven days if the remarks are not withdrawn.

The letter called on Ms Humphreys to withdraw the remarks, and apologise to Mr Murphy. It also calls on the Fine Gael candidate to meet Mr Murphy’s legal costs.

In the letter, Mr Murphy’s legal team said Ms Humphreys had accused him of engaging in “violent criminal conduct”, that he had committed “an act of gender-based violence” and that he was a “misogynist”.

Mr Murphy’s solicitors added Ms Humphreys' comments were “grossly defamatory” and he had “suffered in his character and reputation”.

The letter adds Mr Murphy had been exposed to “odium, ridicule, and contempt”.

Asked if she would be withdrawing and apologising for the remarks, Ms Humphreys said she had not yet seen the legal letter from Mr Murphy’s solicitors.

“What can I say only, you know, I remember looking at the videos of that particular incident where two women were trapped in their car.

“All I can say is that, well, Paul Murphy wasn't sitting at home watching television that day.”

'An out and out lie'

In response, Mr Murphy said her latest remarks were correct, but this was not what she said during the radio debate on Sunday.

“Of course, that isn’t what she said. What she said was an out and out lie,” Mr Murphy said.

“She repeated it when the RTÉ presenter David McCullough was then trying to ensure that RTÉ had no liability.

“I just don’t think that you can go around lying about people, defaming people as part of a smear campaign against Catherine Connolly.”

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Mr Murphy said it was “not acceptable that people just feel free to tell blatant lies in opposition to what a jury found as part of an attempt to smear somebody else”.

Asked if he expected to be in the High Court beginning defamation proceedings next week, Mr Murphy said he hoped Ms Humphreys would apologise, commit to not do it again and make appropriate compensation.