Newspaper apologises for Lawrence case libel

Granada Television has won damages from a national newspaper over claims they spent £23,000 on the five main Stephen Lawrence murder suspects.

An article in the News of the World claimed that Jamie and Neil Acourt, Gary Dobson, Luke Knight and David Norris were treated to an "all-expenses-paid 15-day jaunt", including golfing, fishing and go-karting trips and tickets to a Scottish Cup semi-final.

The paper's publishers have agreed to pay "appropriate" undisclosed damages to a charity nominated by Granada and to cover its legal costs. Granada also won a public apology.

It was alleged that the men were also provided with spending money, mobile phones and transport following their interviews on ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald programme in April 1999.

Entitled 'How TV bosses rewarded murder suspects - £22,990. That's the cost of pandering to the Lawrence thugs', the article accused Granada of lying to the public in saying no payment had been offered to the suspects.

Granada's solicitor, Nicholas Armstrong, told the High Court in London that the broadcaster "took grave exception to this very serious attack on its reputation and the journalistic integrity of those working on the programme".

It was made explicitly clear before the article was published that the only provisions made for the suspects were accommodation and transport, he said.

News of the World reporter Ian Edmondson "honestly believed his sources" at the time and made the allegations of a £23,000 holiday as a "sweetener or reward" in his article on April 25, 1999.

On behalf of publishers News Group Newspapers, solicitor Julian Pike told Mr Justice Eady: "The defendants now accept that the allegations of VIP treatment for the Lawrence suspects and of lying should not have been published.

"The defendants apologise publicly to the claimant and withdraw those allegations which they now accept were untrue."