Belfast estate agent, Philip Johnston has won libel damages over unfounded newspaper claims which may have linked him to a murdered loyalist.
Mr Johnston received an apology from the Sunday World’s publishers in a settlement at the Northern Ireland High Court.
A statement read out in court on Wednesday said the article may have inferred that the estate agent had been involved in paramilitary and other criminal activity.
Mr Johnston’s barrister said: “The defendants unreservedly accept that any such allegations were totally without foundation and should never have been published in the first place.
“The defendants also acknowledge that the allegations were published at a particularly distressing time for Mr Johnston and they unreservedly apologise to him, and have agreed to compensation for the further damage unjustifiably inflicted upon his reputation.”
Mr Johnston said, “I plan to get on with my life now.”
The money is to be donated to the autism charity SPEAC.
Source: – BBC News
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