We're not in the habit of breathing oxygen into the defamation industry, but this one's too damned funny to go unmentioned. After The Australian's inimitable duo Sharri Markson and Darren Davidson wrote in June 2014 about former Townsville Bulletin court reporter Malcolm Weatherup being placed on good behaviour on a charge of wilful damage to his neighbour's car, in which they suggested the bloke likes a drink, the News Corp veteran lawyered up and sued his former employer. It went all the way to the Supreme Court and a full jury trial, in which a raft of his former colleagues was called to testify whether, and if so how often, Weatherup smelt of liquor in the newsroom. The wise denizens sitting in judgment found the Media Diary had indeed libelled their ex-comrade with the unfounded charge of "habitual intoxication". Justice David North ordered Holt Street to pay Weatherup $100,000 in aggravated damages.
We're loath to crow, as this particular law is an ass, but Lurch and Markson crowed interminably over our $95,000 settlement of an unfortunate contretemps with former News Limited boss Kim Williams in 2014. We didn't get past a directions hearing whereas they went the full monty against Weatherup. After trial costs (theirs and Weatherup's), this would ordinarily be approaching a million-dollar item (though in fairness, Townsville lawyers might not charge like the eagles of St James), making The Oz's media section the world's most expensive toilet paper.
