Neville’s girlfriend awarded libel damages

THE girlfriend of Manchester United and England football star Gary Neville accepted “substantial” libel damages yesterday over newspaper allegations that she was unfaithful to him during the Euro 2004 championship.

Mr Justice Eady, sitting in the High Court in London, heard Emma Hadfield had been “devastated” by the publication of the allegations in The Sun. Her solicitor Rachel Atkins told the judge that a “sensational” article concerning Miss Hadfield was published by the newspaper on August 4, last year.

She said: “The article claimed that the claimant had been brazenly cheating on Mr Neville by conducting an affair while Mr Neville was abroad representing his country in the European Championships.

“The article stated that when challenged by Mr Neville, the claimant shamelessly lied saying that there had been no such affair.”

Ms Atkins said that “even in the face of denials” from the man the newspaper alleged was having an affair with Miss Hadfield, the claims were repeated on August 5.

“The allegations were not only used as a basis for attacking the claimant for her alleged affair but accused the claimant of being vacuous and deceitful.

Ms Atkins said: “The allegations were and are completely false and indefensible. There is no foundation for them whatsoever. The events simply did not occur. The defendant got it wrong.”

“The claimant’s primary concern was that a prominent apology be published immediately.

“However, when her request for an apology was not met, despite the fact that she vehemently denied the allegations, she had no other option but to commence legal proceedings to set the record straight and correct the position.” She said the defendant, News Group Newspapers Ltd, publishers of The Sun, agreed to publish a prominent apology and to “pay a substantial sum by way of damages to the claimant, together with legal costs.”