View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Law
March 18, 2014

Daily Star and Express pay damages to Paul Gascoigne for privacy breach

By PA Media Lawyer

Former footballer Paul Gascoigne has accepted damages from the Daily Express and Daily Star newspapers to settle his defamation and privacy claim against the two newspapers after they put video footage showing him in a drunken and incoherent state on their websites.
They also ran stories making allegations about his private life and discussing his finances. Gascoigne had been seeking damages of up to £25,000.
The footage – which Gascoigne did not know was being made – was shot by a man called Shane Abbott in the former player's flat near Hastings in early February last year.
At the time Gascoigne was suffering serious problems because of a relapse into alcoholism.
Abbott also sold the newspapers details of Gascoigne's finances and his personal life.
The case was settled, with the newspapers agreeing to pay damages and Gascoigne's legal costs. The claim had been scheduled to go to trial in July.
Gascoigne's legal team had said in papers filed with the court that he had suffered a relapse in the months prior to February 2013 and needed extra treatment for alcoholism.
During this time "his life became chaotic and he mixed with drug addicts and alcoholics who would on occasion exploit him for asking him for money," it was said.
"They would often use his home. He was also prey to people with neither affliction but who simply wanted to exploit him. One such person was Shane Abbott."
Gascoigne's legal team denied that the former Tottenham Hotspur player was ever Abbott's friend or flatmate.

Content from our partners
AI challenge asks journalists to pitch for help to solve industry challenges
Newsrooms 2.0: Why WordPress is taking over the industry
Handelsblatt's key strategy for unifying print and digital operations

Topics in this article : , ,

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly dose of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network