Daily Star apologies for slur

Patrick Kielty has won 'substantial' libel damages over a newspaper story which falsely claimed he misbehaved outside a Dublin bar.

The Northern Irish comic sued over an article which appeared in the Daily Star in November 2001.

And today the newspaper issued an apology in Belfast's High Court, accepting Kielty's assurance that the report was incorrect.

Reading a statement, the Star's lawyer said the paper "unreservedly withdraws any unfavourable inferences against Mr Kielty and apologises for any embarrassment caused to him and his partner Amanda Byram".

Speaking after the hearing, Kielty told the BBC: "I came here to get my name cleared and the apology read in court was more important to me than the substantial damages I have been awarded."

The story had claimed Kielty had behaved in a threatening, abusive, conceited and childish manner.

"The so-called Incident never happened," he said. "A normal night out was manipulated to publicise someone's bar and went completely over the lines of celebrity reporting.

"The only reason I am here today is that an apology was not forthcoming earlier."

Published: 19 Sep 2002