Ashling Murphy's boyfriend settles defamation action against BBC
The 23-year-old schoolteacher was killed along a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly in 2022 by murderer Jozef Puska.
Her partner, 27-year-old Ryan Casey, sued the BBC over a broadcast of an episode of the View following Puska's sentencing.
It contained commentary on Mr Casey's victim impact statement that he delivered ahead of sentencing.
He initiated High Court proceedings against the broadcaster alleging that he had been defamed during the television programme.
The action was settled on Thursday, with the BBC saying it acknowledged Mr Casey's personal tragedy.
It stood by the journalism of the broadcast and added: 'The BBC is however happy to clarify that it does not consider Ryan Casey to be a criminal or a racist, or someone guilty of or attempting to incite hatred, or someone seeking to pose as a hero of the far right through his victim impact statement.'
It is understood Mr Casey received a substantial figure in the settlement.
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She was crying and telling him she was in pain and feeling sick. While seeing the footage was a shock, Leona 'wasn't overly shocked that it was Craig. As much as he came across as a nice guy to start with, if he was going to get into some sort of trouble, it would be to do with this sort of area,' she said. 'I just didn't know that it would be something like that and that it would involve me. I was angry with him because we had been very close. It made me feel horrible.' Leona, who spoke in the hope of encouraging other women to come forward, said France would 'buy big bottles of Disaronno [an Italian liqueur] and hand drinks out to everyone, but more so towards groups of girls. He was very charismatic. He could chat to anyone. He was funny. He knew how to talk to people and make them feel comfortable with him.' Craig France is interviewed by police following his arrest Describing the impact of France's betrayal, Leona said she now struggles to trust men, even those she has known for a long time and who are close to her. 'If I'm getting changed in front of a guy and he's on his phone, I struggle with that. I know they won't be doing what he did, but it's difficult building trust with people because this was someone I knew closely. I keep beating myself up, saying that I'm an idiot for getting with someone like that. How could I have not seen that he could do something like this?' At France's trial at Cambridge crown court in March, the judge described him as 'a misogynist predator and a toxic risk to women', but explained his guilty plea meant he was eligible for a reduced sentence of 10 years and 7 months, rather than the maximum sentence of 18 years and 7 months. France had no previous convictions aside from a historic driving offence, though police found he had been expelled from school after touching other pupils inappropriately in intimate areas, and pulling down girls' underwear. Since France was sent to prison, new potential victims have come forward but Cambridgeshire police believe there may be many more. 'Craig France groomed his victims, everybody felt he was their friend and a person they could trust,' Tebbit said. 'He did all the things that a young woman would find attractive and friendly.' During the interview process, France did not speak aside from repeating 'no comment' and has shown no remorse for his crimes. 'I'm not of the view that he's ever really accepted what he's done was wrong,' Tebbit said. For Abby, the rape has caused her so much distress that she was unable to eat or drink and became physically ill, to the point of being hospitalised due to significant weight loss. She cut her hair off 'to look less feminine'. 'I stopped living completely,' she said. 'I stopped going out. I didn't want to leave the house. I'm terrified of everything and everyone really. It's a lot to carry. It eats you up in a way that is difficult to live with. I don't think it's ever going to go away.'
