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The UK Express and UK Mirror settled libel lawsuits about their February 2018 stories claiming a man named Darren Emanuel was “found guilty of wearing an item of police uniform, with intent to deceive.”
In fact, as the settlements state, Emanuel was temporarily convicted of wearing something similar to part of a police uniform, but then that was overturned — or as the settlements say, “temporarily convicted of wearing an article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to deceive.”
Both news outlets are owned by Reach PLC which declined to comment to iMediaEthics.
The Express’s May 24 settlement statement read:
“An article entitled ‘Banker ‘commuted more than 1000 miles’ dressed as a policeman on an old police motorbike’ published on 9 February 2018, incorrectly reported that Darren Emanuel had been found guilty of wearing an item of police uniform, with intent to deceive.
“Mr Emanuel was in fact temporarily convicted of wearing an article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to deceive, of which was later overturned on appeal. Mr Emanuel brought a defamation claim against the publisher which was settled by way of a payment of damages to him and his legal costs.”
The Mirror’s May 24 statement reads:
“An article entitled ‘Banker wore cop uniform and rode ex-police motorbike on commute to fool public’ published on 8 February 2018, incorrectly reported that Darren Emanuel had been found guilty of wearing an item of police uniform, with intent to deceive.
Mr Emanuel was in fact temporarily convicted of wearing an article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to “deceive, of which was later overturned on appeal. Mr Emanuel brought a defamation claim against the publisher which was settled by way of a payment of damages to him and his legal costs.”
iMediaEthics has written to Emanuel’s lawyer to ask if he is suing any other news outlets.
