BBC radio DJ Paul Gambaccini has said he will be grateful for the rest of his life to the print journalists who helped him see off false accusations of sex abuse.
Gambaccini has secured an apology from the Met Police and a damages-plus-costs payout of £250,000 (as revealed by Stephen Wright’s True Crime podcast for the Daily Mail) after he was arrested in 2013 and spent a year on police bail as part of the Operation Yewtree investigation.
He sued for “improper use of private information” by the Met which led to him being identified after his arrest and being dropped by the BBC.
He said in a statement: “During these seven years I was inspired by the courage and tenacity of several other falsely accused individuals and their loved ones. We spoke regularly and gained understanding of our common plight. They have been the ultimate support group, and I admire them all.
“When the BBC abandoned us, several print journalists saved us. They took our case to the government and people of the United Kingdom.
“These brave writers included, but were not limited to, Daniel Finkelstein, Simon Jenkins, Dominic Lawson, Richard Littlejohn, Charles Moore, Jane Moore, Sean O’Neill, Allison Pearson, Janet Street-Porter and last, but actually first, Stephen Wright. I will be grateful to them for the rest of my life.”
Gambaccini was arrested in a dawn raid and questioned for 12 hours over allegations which were later found to be fabricated. Charges were dropped in October 2014, but during his year on police bail Gamacinni was banned from appearing on the BBC and so his income plummeted.
Gambacinni said he was inspired to sue the police after then Met chief commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe refused to comment on the matter when interviewed on the Today programme and by the Commons home affairs select committee.
His lawyer Jules Carey, of Bindmans, told the Daily Mail: “The actions of the Metropolitan Police that caused Paul to be identified as an Operation Yewtree suspect were unlawful and both he and his husband suffered greatly as a result, including the receipt of death threats.”
Gambacinni previously received a five-figure sum in damages and an apology from the CPS.
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