Humphreys takes legal advice as Paul Murphy launches defamation case over debate remarks

Paul Murphy (right) is taking legal proceedings against Heather Humphreys (left).

Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys is to take legal advice, after People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy formally launched a defamation case over her comments during a debate last Sunday.

Filings say Mr Murphy’s solicitors issued formal legal proceedings at the High Court on Wednesday.

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.

A legal letter was sent to Ms Humphreys on Monday evening, calling on the Fine Gael candidate to withdraw the remarks and apologise to Mr Murphy. It also calls on Ms Humphreys 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."

It is understood Mr Murphy has retained two senior counsel who worked on the Jobstown trial, with both Michael O’Higgins SC and Róisín Lacey SC taking the case.

Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One on Thursday, Ms Humphreys said she accepted the decision made by the courts, however, she criticised Mr Murphy for launching the legal case.

“Of course, this is the tactic of the hard left and Sinn Féin when they don’t like what you say, they take to the courts,” Ms Humphreys said

“There were two women who were victims that day.”

In the interview, Ms Humphreys asserted that Mr Murphy was Ms Connolly’s campaign manager.

However, the Connolly campaign rejected this assertion and said Mr Murphy did not have a management role within the campaign.

It is understood the Connolly campaign has issued multiple corrections to RTÉ over Ms Humphrey’s assertions.

Later on Thursday, Ms Humphreys said Mr Murphy was entitled to take a case.

He was not a victim on the day of the 2014 incident, she added. She confirmed she would be taking legal advice on the matter.

“It’s not going to put me off in my campaign,” Ms Humphreys said.

“I’m going to plough on and I’m going to get out to talk to the people and put my message forward as to why I want to be the next President of Ireland.”

Asked if she believed this was a tactic, Ms Humphreys said she did not know what Mr Murphy was doing.

“He’s entitled to do whatever he wishes. But I do know when that event happened in Jobstown, he wasn’t sitting at home watching the television.”