[Niamh.]

Paper 'paid man' to make false Louis Walsh sex allegation

A tabloid newspaper tried to “take out Louis Walsh as a public person” by paying a man to make a false sex assault allegation, it has been claimed in an Irish court.

The High Court in Dublin heard that Leonard Watters allegedly met Sun journalist Joanne McElgunn for dinner where she offered to pay him if he made a complaint to gardai “about being assaulted” in a nightclub toilet.

Watters (24), from Navan, Co Meath, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment last January after pleading guilty to making two false reports to gardai that Mr Walsh sexually assaulted him in a toilet in Dublin's Krystle nightclub on April 9 last year.

X Factor judge Mr Walsh is suing Newsgroup Newspapers, publishers of The Sun, for defamation over an article it published on June 23 last.

The paper accepted the accusation was false but denied defamation, saying that it had acted fairly.

Mr Walsh is now seeking access to documents which will allegedly show that The Sun offered to pay Watters to make the false complaint.

Senior counsel Jim O'Callaghan, for Mr Walsh, told the court that The Sun had “directed the operation to take out Louis Walsh as a public person”.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...#ixzz1uwNLRxvv

That is utterly despicable if it's true

[Shaun]

There aren't enough adjectives to describe how morally corrupt the Sun is. I just don't know why people continue to buy it.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Shaun

There aren't enough adjectives to describe how morally corrupt the Sun is. I just don't know why people continue to buy it.

They should be shut down if that's true and anyone involved should be imprisoned.

[Marsh.]

Can't stand Louis Walsh. Vile attention seeker.

However, that's despicable. It was always obvious most of their crap was made up all the time but to pay people to give false statements is disgusting. This together with the phone hacking stuff should see a huge clamp down on journalists and paparazzi.

[Kazanne]

I hope he sues the arse off them.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Shaun

There aren't enough adjectives to describe how morally corrupt the Sun is. I just don't know why people continue to buy it.

Because at weekends its only 50pence

[Ithinkiloveyoutoo]

wow all the stuff we see in movies do have some truth. they don't just come out of nowhere. pft

poor louis suffered so much through that ordeal

[Jack_]

Vile. Tabloids are awful on the whole but The Sun is particularly disgusting.

Hope and pray for the day it's closed down.

[Mrluvaluva]

If it is true, it's absolutely disgusting. Not only could it have ruined his career, but his life too. If it is proved to be true, then they should penalise them with the highest charge possible.