The News of the World is standing by its claim that Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan committed adultery with the paper’s sex columnist, Anvar Khan.
The allegation was read to the jury by the clerk of the court on the opening day of a £200,000 libel action brought by Sheridan against the paper.
The News of the World alleged in articles carried in 2004 and 2005 that Sheridan had cheated on his wife, visited a swingers’ club for casual sex and taken part in orgies.
In one article, News of the World columnist Anvar Khan claimed that she had a “kinky fling” with an unnamed married Scottish politician.
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Sheridan, the former leader and co-
founder of the Scottish Socialist Party, has denied all the claims.
Alistair Clark QC, for the News of the World, told the jury that the tabloid was proud of “exposing hypocrisy on the part of public figures” and accused Sheridan of being a hypocrite.
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He said the tabloid’s allegations against Sheridan were “substantially true”.
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