Noel Clarke loses bid to throw out Guardian publisher's defence in libel claim
Noel Clarke loses bid to throw out Guardian publisher's defence in libel claim
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Noel Clarke has accused The Guardian newspaper's publisher of fabricating and deleting evidence over claims of sexual misconduct against him, the High Court has been told. The 49-year-old actor, best known for his film Kidulthood and starring in Doctor Who, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) for libel over a series of articles which began with an investigative feature in April 2021.
Some 20 women who knew him in a professional capacity had come forward with allegations against him, the newspaper reported. Clarke, who was present in court for the latest hearing, wearing a grey suit and dark-rimmed glasses, vehemently denied any sexual misconduct or criminal wrongdoing in a statement released at the time.
GNM is defending the legal action at the High Court in London on the grounds of truth and public interest. At a hearing on Wednesday ahead of a full trial, lawyers for Clarke applied for GNM's defence case to be struck out, but were unsuccessful. Philip Williams, representing Clarke, said in a written submission to the court that they believe there is "overwhelming evidence not just of an attempt to pervert... but actual perversion of the course of justice".
He also alleged there had been "deliberate and permanent deletion of personal correspondence between the three journalists that undertook the purported investigations, as well as fabrication". This makes it "impossible for the defendant to legitimately put forward a positive case that it reasonably believed publishing the defamatory articles were in the public interest", he argued.
