BBC faces criticism over delay in paying court-ordered damages to Gerry Adams
They contained an allegation that Mr Adams sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson. Mr Adams denied any involvement.
In May, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him 100,000 euros (£84,000) after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article.
The BBC, which was found by the jury not to have acted in good faith nor in a fair and reasonable way, was also ordered to pay the former Sinn Fein leader's legal costs.
Adam Smyth, director of BBC NI, expressed disappointment in the verdict and said the corporation believes it supplied extensive evidence to the court of the careful editorial process and journalistic diligence applied to the programme and accompanying online article.
After the decision, the broadcaster's legal team was granted a stay in the payment of the full award as it took time to consider an appeal, subject to paying half the damages (50,000 euros or £42,000) and 250,000 euros (£210,000) towards solicitors' fees.
In June, the BBC confirmed it would not pursue an appeal.
However, it is understood that by August 1 the BBC had not paid the damages.
Mr Adams previously indicated that he planned to donate what he receives to good causes.
He specified that these would include for children in Gaza as well as groups in the Irish language sector and those who are homeless.
A source close to Mr Adams told the PA news agency: 'The delay by the BBC is deplorable and it should move speedily towards discharging the order of the court.'
A BBC spokesperson said: 'Total costs will be finalised and payable in due course.'
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Scotsman
33 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Readers' letters: We must not return to the days of Mary Whitehouse
A reader says freedom of expression should be defended, even if it might offend some people Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Speaking as someone who is usually in agreement with Susan Dalgety, it's also necessary to agree with her when she admits to being at risk of 'sounding like Mary Whitehouse' (Scotsman, 2 August) when criticising Channel 4's recent documentary on Tia Billinger – aka 'Bonnie Blue'. Such a broadcast might well make Ms Dalgety's 'skin crawl', but in a liberal democracy freedom of expression (within reason) must be respected even if it might offend some of us. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Those taking part in the event Ms Dalgety describes were all consenting adults participating in an entirely legal activity. Thankfully, we are not living in Franco's Spain or the repressive Roman Catholic Ireland of the 1930s-1980s as portrayed in Edna O'Brian's novels, once banned by Irish censors. Mary Whitehouse, as president of the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association, was a vigorous campaigner against what she perceived to be excessive sex, violence and bad language on screen and stage (Picture: Les Lee/Daily Express/) Radical feminists might wish to reflect on the irony that those countries which prohibit pornography (such as Iran and Afghanistan) are the very same states where women are most oppressed and are denied human rights. By objecting to this Bonnie Blue documentary, Susan Dalgety unwittingly aligns herself not only with Mrs Whitehouse's campaign to 'clean up' television, but also President Ronald Reagan's failed attempt to close down America's adult entertainment industry back in the 1980s. Martin O'Gorman, Edinburgh Spanish Inquisition Jenny Lindsay (Scotsman, 2 August) quite correctly criticises John Swinney's reference to Scotland as 'the birthplace of the Enlightenment" when he and his government and his acolytes, have spent years introducing and enacting laws to strangle freedom of thought and expression in Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I'd add to Ms Lindsay's list ot taboo subjects any hint of challenge to the current diktats on measures to live with climate change, as Christine Jardine points out in her article, 'Milliband's moving to end North Sea oil too quickly' (Scotsman, 4 August). Also that successive governments' policies on housing the increasing number of asylum seekers entering the country illegally have driven so many people to protest in public, often for the first time in their lives, and are dismissed as being members of 'the far right'. As Ms Lindsay notes, in the context of gender issues and Israel/Palestine, 'perfectly ordinary viewpoints are twisted erroneously by people seeming incapable of critically analysing anything other than cereal packets'. The 1998 romcom Sliding Doors had a running trope: 'No-one expects the Spanish Inquisition.' Little did we think when we laughed then that we'd be living through a modern version of the Inquisition in 2025. Lovina Roe, Perth, Perth & Kinross Bank balance I agree with the granting of consent to Berwick Bank wind farm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Two correspondents to your letters page (2 August) mention an estimate of 31,000 bird deaths over the wind farm's 30-year life span. This is about 1,033 a year, averaging 2.83 bird deaths a day. For perspective, estimates of the number of garden birds killed by domestic cats in the UK each year are in a range of 40 to 70 million. The Mammal Society's study in 2003 estimated UK cats kill 55 million birds annually. That's an average of 150,684 bird deaths a day. The Civil Aviation Authority's 2017 report on 'Wildlife hazard management at aerodromes' shows that where deterrence fails to reduce the risk of birds to aircraft, birds will be shot. So human desires to have cats and to fly in aircraft have priority over the lives of birds. SSE Renewables said on 31 July that Berwick Bank has secured two connection points, at Dunbar and Blyth in Northumberland, to the UK electricity grid, and the trade association Renewable UK said on 31 July 'the approval of Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm is a pivotal milestone for Britain's energy transition'. Berwick Bank wind farm will benefit people in Scotland and England, and I think many of your correspondents and readers will agree with that. E Campbell, Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire Sheer madness I recently read in horror that the Berwick Bank wind farm array had been provisionally approved despite the number of complaints and the fact that it will kill thousands of seabirds, (some breeds of which are in decline), due to the relative proximity of the array to their breeding sites. I can also only assume that the decision-maker have not seen, or totally ignored the figures being produced on the Octopus Energy 'UK's Wasted Windpower tracker' site which not only shows that as I write, to date this year more than £716m in wind power has been wasted but also that the nearby Seagreen array (also owned by SSE) has been closed down 71 per cent of the time because the grid cannot handle the amount of energy generated in higher wind situations. Although producing nothing, SSE is paid millions of pounds in 'constraints payments' which are added to every electrical bill. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is widely accepted that Scotland has a major issue with the amount of energy it can handle from its wind farms and that this issue will take years to resolve. In the interim adding another extremely large array. which will only increase energy bills and kill thousands of seabirds when it is operating, is sheer madness. Ralph Bebbington, Crediton, Devon Not so green In an open letter to John Swinney, signed by 18 environmental and civic groups including Friends of the Earth and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, he was asked to stop the increasing level of plastic pollution in Scotland (Scotsman, 4 August). It is quite ironic that just days before, permission was given for the world's largest wind farm consisting of 307 turbines at Berwick Bank. These turbines will have plastic components: plastic coating on the copper wires and the turbine blades are made of polymer composite materials – plastics within which fibres or particles are embedded as reinforcement. These blades cannot be recycled but end up in landfill. With 100,000 tons of turbine blades disposed of annually in the UK and 329,000 wind turbines globally there is a huge environmental problem that Friends of the Earth etc dare not mention. Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian Pope for peace Pope Leo XVI celebrated his three months in office with a youth mass on the theme of peace (Scotsman, 4 August). He's fast making a reputation of being a peacemaking Pope. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Quietly, he's negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine, having twice met with Vlodomir Zelensky and phoned Vladimir Putin. As a long-serving member of the Augustinian fraternity, his watch words are unity and peace. One of his first acts as Pope, was to visit the fraternity, which he had led prior to becoming Pope, assuring his former colleagues that 'they were still his brothers'. In contrast to his predecessor, the charismatic Pope Francis, Pope Leo has been described as an introvert, who is very much a team player. Much of his papacy is spent listening and, as he said to the young people, patiently and tirelessly, trying to resolve conflict by, not fearsome weapons, but long-term negotiation, a quality, much needed in our war-torn world. We are blessed to have such a Pope. Ian Petrie, Edinburgh Dual purpose Rachel Amery (Scotsman, 4 August) writes about the dualling of the A1. Yes, a need not just for those that use the A1 from Alnwick to Dunbar which is the only part not a dual carriageway at present, but for the whole transport industry which over uses the M74 and A66. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What she fails to highlight is that it was Conservative Ian Lang. as Scottish Secretary, who stopped the programme to dual the A1 between Newcastle and Edinburgh in the early 1990s. Robert Anderson, Dunning, Perth & Kinross Don't be fooled The latest misguided ruse of Robert IG Scott (Letters, 2 August), with the aim of having Holyrood abolished in favour of direct rule from Westminster, is to promote a unionist cabal offering 'radical changes' in order to defeat the SNP. While recent polling has shown consistent support for independence at around 50 per cent or greater, one suspects that the polling levels of support would be significantly higher if the BBC and much of the media in Scotland were not seemingly preoccupied with seeking stories to denigrate the Scottish Government and the SNP. What is certain is that a clear majority, possibly approaching the 75 per cent of the devolution referendum, think that the people of Scotland should be able to determine their own future (even if individually some might not yet be ready to vote for independence in a referendum). Those who still think that Scotland should remain in a dysfunctional Union and believe that they represent the majority view of the people of Scotland should be prepared to back that belief in a democratic manner and support calls for a constitutional referendum should Scotland, in 2026, again elect a majority of MSPs supporting independence. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With Brexit, Covid, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing slaughter in Gaza there have been significant changes in the UK and around the world. Those who would deny the people of Scotland from having a second constitutional referendum at the earliest realistic date of 2028 (14 years after 2014 and double the period available to the UK citizens of Northern Ireland) seek not only to deny democracy but to deny human evolution. Stan Grodynski, Longniddry, East Lothian Write to The Scotsman
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Fears serial sex beast football coach abused up to 50 children
The convicted paedophile worked as a bus driver, truck driver and a painter and decorator over the years. It is feared that a notorious football coach paedophile may have abused up to as many as 50 kids. Russell Conn, who coached football teams in Ayrshire for over 26 years and worked as a carer in a boys' residential school, was jailed at the High Court in Glasgow last month for seven years. It was the second time the 62-year-old was convicted of sexual offences against children having been previously convicted of preying on young boys after a trial in 2022. He was first arrested for sex abuse against children in 2010, but it was a further 12 years until he was finally brought to justice. He was then found guilty of raping a youngster and sexually assaulting two other boys in July this year, taking his total number of confirmed victims to seven. Much of Conn's vile abuse took place in a number of towns across Ayrshire. Residents in the area now fear he may have assaulted as many as 50 children after working jobs where he interacted with youngsters over the years. He also worked in a boarding school, as a bus driver, a truck driver and a painter and decorator. One local said: "He ran his football team for years and there were dozens and dozens of boys that played for that team. "But he also had access to so many kids elsewhere over the years because he worked in a residential school with children who lived in it full time. "Then there were his jobs as a bus driver, delivery driver and painter and decorato r. He was always seeing kids and in and out of houses. "There could easily be many, many more victims." The secret serial sex offender targeted teens when they were alone and left his victims emotionally scarred, abusing one boy so badly he tried to kill himself. Conn has been convicted of offences spanning nearly 30 years, targeting his first victim in 1995 and his last in 2021, abusing them in his work vans and in properties. His two High Court trials have heard that he met some victims through his four jobs, while other boys were targeted after playing for the football team he ran. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Another victim was targeted after striking up a conversation with Conn when he spotted Conn's dog. Conn then lured the youngster into his home in Stevenston, Ayrshire, and abused him inside the property. After he was convicted for the second time, prosecutors warned how he had used his jobs and coaching role to gain access to children and then abuse them. A court source said: "There have been seven victims identified so far through his two court cases, but given the nature of his offending, it could easily be the tip of the iceberg. "Conn is a cold and calculated sex offender, who regularly engineered opportunities and situations where he was alone with young boys and abused them. "It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out he had targeted many more boys. Hopefully, if there are other victims out there, they find the strength to come forward so he can face justice." Speaking after his latest conviction, Detective Chief Inspector Suzanne McNulty said: "Russell Conn is facing the consequences of his abhorrent actions. "This outcome was made possible thanks to the victims who came forward and reported him. I commend them for the strength they have shown during the investigation and court proceedings. "Our thoughts remain with them, and I hope this sentencing offers them some comfort as they move forward with their lives." And the officer urged any victims of sexual predators to come forward. She said: "I would also like to reassure our communities that we are committed to investigating all reports of sexual crimes and remain determined to bring those responsible to justice. "I urge anyone who has been the victim of any offence of this nature to contact us - regardless of how much time has passed. You will be fully supported by our officers and partner agencies."
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Brit model Chloe Ayling poses heartbreaking 13-word question after kidnap ordeal
Chloe Ayling, from Croydon, south London, was grabbed from behind and bundled into a suitcase during her kidnapping in Milan, where she'd travelled for a bogus modelling job A British model kidnapped by a thug begged to know what made her story "so unbelievable" in a poignant documentary last night. Staring directly into the camera, Chloe Ayling asked: "What is it about me and my story that makes this so unbelievable?" at the start of the BBC programme Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping. She led with the question because the documentary later told the audience people still don't believe her - eight years on. But that is despite the jail sentence of Lukasz Herba, a 30-year-old Polish computer programmer from Oldbury, West Midlands, who had drugged, kidnapped and driven Chloe 120 miles to a remote farmhouse near Turin, where she was held hostage for one week. The documentary comes after a man brutally killed a woman on their first date and left her body parts around a town. The show highlighted how Chloe, then 20, was dismissed as a money-grabber who wanted only to be famous. She was encouraged by her agent to go to Milan for a modelling job, but this was actually fake and a lure by Herba to entrap Chloe. Herba was primed to grab the glamour model from behind and bundle her into a suitcase. Injected with ketamine and chained to furniture, she was forced to sleep on the floor of a remote farmhouse. Photographs of her lying unconscious in skimpy clothing were sent to her manager in London, along with a demand for €300,000 (£260,000). If the ransom wasn't paid within a week, she would be auctioned off as a sex slave. Although she was eventually released, Chloe faced another battle to rebuild her life because many didn't believe her graphic and appalling story. Recalling her childhood, Chloe, now 28, said in the documentary: "I had a lot of difficulties with communication... I'd react in the wrong way. If I was being told off I would smile. I just had the wrong reactions to things." The model, from Croydon, south London, told how she has since been diagnosed with autism, something she believes explains so much – not just about her reactions during her kidnap ordeal, but about her life before and since. In the TV show last night, the mum continued: "Autism plays a big part in the way that I reacted, and that was confusing to neurotypical people... People disassociate with events that have happened or have a delayed reaction, especially after trauma. So, it can't all be put down to a diagnosis, and that shouldn't affect the way people treated me."
