High Court strikes out defamation action by Dana's brother on grounds of delay

John Brown had sued Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd over an Irish Independent article

(Left to right) Dana Rosemary Scallon and John Brown. Mr Brown was cleared in July 2014 of charges of indecently assaulting two girls aged under 13 and 16 at several locations in Northern Ireland and England in the 1970s and 80s. File photo: Alex Diaz/PA

A defamation action by John Brown, brother of singer and former presidential candidate Dana Rosemary Scallon, has been struck out by the High Court over a three-and-a-half-year delay in prosecuting the case.

Mr Brown sued Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd (INIL) over an Irish Independent article published at the time of a pending prosecution against him for alleged indecent assault in which a report from a UK news agency wrongly stated a warrant had been issued for his arrest.