In yet another bizarre chapter in the wake of one of the UK¹s most
sensational defamation cases in recent times, The Scottish News of The World
has challenged Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan to take a lie detector
test.
The challenge came in a front-page and inside spread yesterday (Sunday) in
which the paper reported that three of its main witnesses against Sheridan
in the five-week defamation trial had passed lie detector tests on vital
aspects of the evidence they had given against the MSP.
Three other women
witnesses are said to be also willing to undergo polygraphs, claimed the
paper.
On Friday the newspaper formally lodged its appeal against Sheridan being
awarded £200,000 by a jury in his defamation action over its allegations
that the MSP cheated on his wife, took part in orgies, and visited a
swingers¹'club.
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The appeal was lodged at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. Both parties
involved may now have to wait up to a year to hear the outcome.
The Scottish News of The World, in what it claimed was"³a sensational new
twist in the Tommy Sheridan sex case" challenged the MSP to take a lie
detector test after it reported on how last week three of its major
witnesses – News of The World columnist Anvar Khan, Ann Colvin and Helen
Allison – had passed such tests conducted by an independent polygraph
expert.
All three women were accused by Sheridan in court of perjury and conspiring
against him.
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The Scottish News of The World quoted Jeremy Barrett, whom it said was "the UK's top polygraph expert", as saying: "Based on the results of the
tests, I believe they are all telling the truth."
He added: "It would certainly be interesting to test Mr Sheridan. If he's
telling the truth then he has nothing to lose.
Khan told the tabloid: "I had absolutely nothing to fear from a lie detector
test. I wanted to prove that I am a truthful person and that I gave an
honest account of my unfortunate past relationship with Tommy Sheridan.
"To be called a perjurer is distressing. It is an affront to my
professionalism as an award-winning journalist of many years and it is an
assault on my personal dignity and integrity."
The Scottish News of The World said that in its appeal against the
verdict "we will argue that the decision of the jury flew in the face of
the weight of the evidence heard in the court."
On the lie detector tests, it claimed that the "results of these tough
scientific examinations add even greater credibility to the women's
evidence."
And it added: "We challenge Sheridan to put his own evidence to the test –
he can take a lie detector examination with ANY of his favourite
newspapers, using ANY respectable polygraph firm he cares to name."
Meantime there is continuing speculation that some of the witnesses in the
defamation action could face perjury charges. Police inquiries are
continuing.
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