The model was accused of allegedly blackmailing the Premier League and national star with whom she had an affair at an earlier hearing in which the judge, Mr Justice Eady, explained why he had imposed a gagging order preventing the naming of the married footballer.
The injunction preventing the footballer's identification remains in place, despite the fact the star was named by thousands of people on Twitter and by Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming in Parliament.
Eady suggested at Thursday's hearing: "There is no longer any point in maintaining the anonymity."
But there was no move by Thomas's lawyers to attempt to lift the gagging order.
Thomas's solicitor advocate David Price QC said the footballer, who was referred to in court as "CTB", "accepts there is no basis to accuse Ms Thomas of blackmail" and said the allegation was "not how CTB had put it himself".
Price said the blackmail allegation was "widely and prominently reported by the media as if it were established fact. This was not correct. It has been extremely damaging and distressing to Ms Thomas".
He said Thomas did not want any private information to be published, and was not responsible for an article in the Sun on 14 April.
Thomas, who has always denied the blackmail allegations, said in a statement on Thursday:
"To suddenly have to defend my character, because of this legal process, has been extremely upsetting and stressful.
"I'm just relieved that the parties and the court now accept that I'm no blackmailer. I have been vindicated and that's all I wanted. I have nothing to add – it's all behind me now."
Price told the court: "Ms Thomas did not want to disclose private information concerning CTB. That remains her position now that the record has been set straight."
Guardian
No comments:
Post a Comment