Photo: wenn.com
Former Boyzone manager Louis Walsh has accepted half a million pounds in libel damages for being falsley accused of sexually assaulting a man in a Dublin nightclub, after a Westlife concert in April 2011.
The story was published on 23 June 2011 by both the Irish and UK editions of the Sun. The man accusing the X Factor judge was named as Leonard Watters, an unemployed dance teacher. Watters was jailed for six months in July for the false accusation.
The Sun publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN) will pay Walsh's legal costs of £180,000. Eoin McCullough, Senior counsel for NGN read a statement at the high court in Dublin earlier this morning. He said: "The Sun fully accepts that the alleged assault did not occur in the first place and Louis Walsh is entirely innocent of any such assault."
McCullough went on to say: "The Sun unreservedly apologises to Louis Walsh for any distress caused to him as a result of our article."
Speaking outside the high court in Dublin, Walsh said he was "relieved" it was all over, but added that it will be difficult for him to get over his ordeal.
"Nobody should write lies," he said. "No amount of pleading could stop them."
Accusations caused Louis Walsh to fear for his career
The story threatened to end Walsh's career as a successful band manager, as well as his spot on the judging panel of The X Factor.
"No amount of money will compensate for what I have gone through," he said. "This has had a terrible effect on me. It was all lies."
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