My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join the discussion and meet other Mumsnetters on our free online chat forum.

Chat

The "Wagatha Christie" Coleen Rooney/ Rebekah Vardy court case

406 replies

Iwantacatnotcovid · 08/02/2022 20:46

Is anyone else following it? Grin

Vardy's phone was accidentally dropped into the North Sea... Yeah right!

OP posts:
Report
prh47bridge · 22/05/2022 22:14

Pedallleur · 22/05/2022 14:32

It's the modern phenomena. Life by Social Media. It's interesting watching the legal system come to terms with it and there will prob be a whole section of law opening up on the subject altho Rooneys barrister was using law from 1722 to try the case.

The 1722 case set a precedent that where, as in this case, evidence goes missing, the assumption should be that the missing evidence is of the highest possible value that would fit. Rooney's lawyer was using it to try to persuade the judge to assume that the missing messages, etc., would have proved that Vardy was responsible for the leaks. I very much doubt that we need a new law to replace this. And, in all honesty, the courts are generally pretty good at interpreting the law to fit new situations. I don't personally see anything in this case that suggests any need for changes to the law.

Report
Pedallleur · 22/05/2022 14:32

It's the modern phenomena. Life by Social Media. It's interesting watching the legal system come to terms with it and there will prob be a whole section of law opening up on the subject altho Rooneys barrister was using law from 1722 to try the case.

Report
ImAvingOops · 22/05/2022 10:45

I think the point of it from CR perspective was a) to put a stop to her acquaintances selling the details of her life to the papers and b)to show that she is not some thick wag without the sense to work it out or put a stop to it.
From the info released in the trial,I'd say she's been successful, since iirc there was no argument that the info didn't come from RV account, only that RV didn't have sole access. CR worked out where the leak originated and has put a stop to it.
Vardy's reputation is in the toilet now and I'd be surprised if many people wanted to socialise with her going forward. Whether she wins legally or not, and regardless of what it cost, CR has probably achieved her aims - I doubt in future if anyone she knows will sell stories about her. In her shoes I might consider it money well spent.

Report
ValerieCupcake · 22/05/2022 01:12

Zippidy123 · 21/05/2022 05:42

The actions of the Vardys that the court case has brought to light (the texts about Danielle Lloyd's miscarriages, the previous article about Peter Andre, Colleen's sister, destruction of evidence, blaming the PR when Vardy clearly knew what was going on, leaking info about other football players, the statement they made outside court rather than under oath) has been far worse and more damaging than what Colleen originally accused her of. Talk about an own goal!!

Just think about the whole merry go round. What is the point of any of it? Apart from this ridiculous circus of a trial. What have either of them achieved? Why did they not just get on with life? Posting things about one another? Why? They're all mad.

Report
PortiaFimbriata · 21/05/2022 22:04

I don't think honest opinion would have flown. But if CR had explicitly said "someone with access to RV's account has leaked this, and I'm appealing to Rebekah, if it wasn't her, to track down the culprit" then I think she'd have been OK, because she'd have restricted herself to the provable truth and not said it in such a way as to imply it was definitely RV herself.

Report
prh47bridge · 21/05/2022 18:45

burnoutbabe · 21/05/2022 16:01

i think it will be a win for Vardy but a £1 win. And both sides pay their own costs. Which is a shame for Colleen, having to foot legal bills but then posting something like that on Instragram was always bound to cause trouble and anybody she told pre posting could have told her to check with her legal team before she did anything. She clearly didn't bother.

if she had worded her post a bit differently, she could have claimed HONEST opinion, but as she claimed it was A FACT, could only use truth as a defence.

I would be surprised if it is a £1 win. However, if it is, Vardy will almost certainly have to pay the costs of both sides from May 2020 onwards, as that is when Rooney first offered to settle. That would be the vast bulk of the legal costs.

The "honest opinion" approach is difficult. Some cases have suggested that an allegation such as this is not a matter of opinion no matter how you dress it up. Other cases have suggested the opposite. Simply saying, "I believe it was RV" would almost certainly not qualify as an honest opinion.

Report
burnoutbabe · 21/05/2022 16:01

i think it will be a win for Vardy but a £1 win. And both sides pay their own costs. Which is a shame for Colleen, having to foot legal bills but then posting something like that on Instragram was always bound to cause trouble and anybody she told pre posting could have told her to check with her legal team before she did anything. She clearly didn't bother.

if she had worded her post a bit differently, she could have claimed HONEST opinion, but as she claimed it was A FACT, could only use truth as a defence.

Report
TigerLilyTail · 21/05/2022 14:49

By the sounds of it many people told the Vardys to drop the case. The seem the type who thinks they know best though.

Report
prh47bridge · 21/05/2022 09:33

heyhi · 21/05/2022 07:05

Completely agree. RV must be thick if she thought this would be anything other than the train crash it has been for her. Not sure whether her legal team have a duty to have warned her about this.

I would expect her lawyers to have warned her that libel cases, particularly high-profile ones, are rarely worth it. They often cause more damage to your reputation than the comments about which you are complaining.

I would also expect her lawyers to have warned her that the judge is entitled to draw adverse inferences if evidence is destroyed. The fact that a large amount of evidence that was ordered to be disclosed has nonetheless been destroyed leads me to believe that either it genuinely was accidental, which seems unlikely, or Vardy is one of those people who thinks she is cleverer than everyone else and that destroying evidence of what she has done will ensure that she wins the case.

Report
heyhi · 21/05/2022 07:05

Zippidy123 · 21/05/2022 05:42

The actions of the Vardys that the court case has brought to light (the texts about Danielle Lloyd's miscarriages, the previous article about Peter Andre, Colleen's sister, destruction of evidence, blaming the PR when Vardy clearly knew what was going on, leaking info about other football players, the statement they made outside court rather than under oath) has been far worse and more damaging than what Colleen originally accused her of. Talk about an own goal!!

Completely agree. RV must be thick if she thought this would be anything other than the train crash it has been for her. Not sure whether her legal team have a duty to have warned her about this.

Report
Zippidy123 · 21/05/2022 05:42

The actions of the Vardys that the court case has brought to light (the texts about Danielle Lloyd's miscarriages, the previous article about Peter Andre, Colleen's sister, destruction of evidence, blaming the PR when Vardy clearly knew what was going on, leaking info about other football players, the statement they made outside court rather than under oath) has been far worse and more damaging than what Colleen originally accused her of. Talk about an own goal!!

Report
prh47bridge · 20/05/2022 13:53

WithAnXXHere · 20/05/2022 13:14

Surely Coleen offering to settle goes against Coleen as it suggest her guilt?

But yes, Coleen has won morally either way.

No, it doesn't go against her as far as the judge is concerned. If anything, it goes for her as the judge was encouraging them to settle. The courts never regard an offer to settle as an admission of liability.

Report
WithAnXXHere · 20/05/2022 13:14

Surely Coleen offering to settle goes against Coleen as it suggest her guilt?

But yes, Coleen has won morally either way.

Report
PortiaFimbriata · 20/05/2022 12:19

CR did not start the action so should not pay other sides costs

That's not generally how it works in England. Eg if you get injured due to your employer's negligence and successfully sue them for compensation then your employer has to pay your legal fees. They can't get away with saying "I shouldn't have to pay her costs because it was her choice to sue me."

However that's just the general rule, and especially if the damages awarded are nominal and depending on settlement offers made the judge does have discretion on who pays what.

Report
Crazykatie · 20/05/2022 11:58

I predict that RV wins gets awarded £1 damages and each side pays their own costs.
CR did not start the action so should not pay other sides costs.

Report
ThreeRingCircus · 20/05/2022 11:20

ImAvingOops · 20/05/2022 09:22

If I was CR I'd be glad that this case has gone ahead and that RV didn't settle because CR has come out of it looking as if she was right, irrespective of the legal result. In the court of public opinion (and to the people in RV's social circle) Vardy has been totally shown up to look both guilty and nasty. And she did it all to herself. If I was CR I'd be feeling vindicated

I also agree. The Rooney's aren't short of money. If I were Colleen and I lost on a technicality and incurred a lot of costs I'd still probably think it was worth it to show everyone what a nasty piece of work Vardy is.

Those messages from RV about CR's dead sister would cement it for me. I suppose you should take the moral high ground but if I were CR and read that I'd stop at nothing to show the world what a snake RV is. The poetic justice is that by pursuing the case, RV has brought this all on herself.

Report
LadyEloise1 · 20/05/2022 10:17

ImAvingOops · 20/05/2022 09:22

If I was CR I'd be glad that this case has gone ahead and that RV didn't settle because CR has come out of it looking as if she was right, irrespective of the legal result. In the court of public opinion (and to the people in RV's social circle) Vardy has been totally shown up to look both guilty and nasty. And she did it all to herself. If I was CR I'd be feeling vindicated

I agree with you.
It must have been really stressful though.

Report
guinnessguzzler · 20/05/2022 10:06

@prh47bridge Ahh, ok, thanks for clarifying. Still seems bloody unfair though!

Report
prh47bridge · 20/05/2022 09:36

PortiaFimbriata · 20/05/2022 09:09

General rule is "loser pays the costs of both sides".

But the costs the winner can claim are usually discounted a bit (aka "taxed" for reasonability). And crucially if the respondent has made a reasonable offer of settlement and the claimant has refused it and the judge then awards lower damages then the claimant bears the costs of both sides from that moment on because they obviously should have accepted it and saved everyone's time and money.

What I don't know is how that applies to the current situation , where as I understand it CR offered a financial settlement but refused a public apology.

You are correct as to the rules.

If Rooney's offers did not include a public apology, the judge may decide that it would be unjust to make Vardy pay Rooney's costs since the offer was made.

Report
ImAvingOops · 20/05/2022 09:22

If I was CR I'd be glad that this case has gone ahead and that RV didn't settle because CR has come out of it looking as if she was right, irrespective of the legal result. In the court of public opinion (and to the people in RV's social circle) Vardy has been totally shown up to look both guilty and nasty. And she did it all to herself. If I was CR I'd be feeling vindicated

Report
PortiaFimbriata · 20/05/2022 09:09

heyhi · 20/05/2022 08:59

Any predictions on what the likely outcome is here? Is it up to the judge to decide what award is made if RV wins? Who will be responsible for legal costs?

General rule is "loser pays the costs of both sides".

But the costs the winner can claim are usually discounted a bit (aka "taxed" for reasonability). And crucially if the respondent has made a reasonable offer of settlement and the claimant has refused it and the judge then awards lower damages then the claimant bears the costs of both sides from that moment on because they obviously should have accepted it and saved everyone's time and money.

What I don't know is how that applies to the current situation , where as I understand it CR offered a financial settlement but refused a public apology.

Report
prh47bridge · 20/05/2022 09:07

ImAvingOops · 20/05/2022 08:28

But if Vardy had said that it wasn't her but other do have access to her account, lots of people would have thought that was feasible because we all know that celebrities employ people to manage their accounts. And it would have avoided all those nasty texts becoming public and the dredging up of the Peter Andre story and all the other unsavoury things she's said and done.

If CR loses then she still saves total face by putting out a statement that it's impossible to prove a case with the evidence missing and no testimony from Watt. The public has had it laid out exactly how Vardy talks about people, her willingness to throw anyone under the bus, even using CR little sister. Rooney really can't lose.

Vardy's father initially said her account must have been hacked. If that was the case, Rooney should lose as her accusation was wrong. However, reaction at the time suggests that people didn't buy that story.

Vardy has now thrown her agent under the bus, apparently claiming that Watt was leaking stories to the Sun without her knowledge. If that was the case, Rooney should lose.

My personal view is that Rooney should win as it appears likely, both from the evidence that has been reported and the destruction of material that should have been disclosed, that Vardy was leaking through her agent or, at the very least, that she knew her agent was leaking. However, I only have the same reports as everyone else to go on. I don't know how the witnesses came across in court, nor do I have access to the bundle of evidence that has been provided to the judge.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Muckymaisonette · 20/05/2022 09:06

I’ve got a feeling that RV will win on a technicality, even though she has been (allegedly) economical with the truth.

Report
heyhi · 20/05/2022 08:59

Any predictions on what the likely outcome is here? Is it up to the judge to decide what award is made if RV wins? Who will be responsible for legal costs?

Report
Muckymaisonette · 20/05/2022 08:35

I’m surprised RV wasn’t asked to clarify the alleged amount of money she had ever received from the Sun regarding stringing WAG stories and how much of this went to her agent as commission (or vice versa if her agent was getting most of the money and giving RV commission for letting her see her IG).

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.