Footballer Andrew Cole is seeking libel damages of £200,000 from the publishers of the Daily Star.
Cole, who won 15 international caps playing for England, is suing Express Newspapers over a front page story headed: ‘Footie Cole is ‘wife beater’ Exclusive Goal Ace arrested and held”.
He claims that readers would have understood that he was guilty of beating his wife Shirley.
Cole, who currently plays for Burnley, is also suing over a second story in the Daily Star, headed ‘Andy Cole ‘nicked for wife beating’ Exclusive”, which was also published on February 26, on page 13.
This, he claims, meant that there were strong grounds to suspect that he was guilty of beating his wife.
Cole says his reputation has been seriously damaged, and that he has faced acute embarrassment and upset as a result of the two stories.
Now he is seeking damages for libel, and an injunction banning repetition of the allegations at the centre of his claim, unless the paper offers an undertaking not to repeat the claims.
Cole describes himself as one of the highest scoring players in English footballing history. He has played for Premiership clubs Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Portsmouth, and Newcastle United. The writ was issued by Schillings.
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