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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Court 'vindicates' McCann suspect | Court 'vindicates' McCann suspect |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Madeleine McCann suspect Robert Murat says he feels "vindicated" after reaching a £600,000 settlement from 11 British newspapers in a libel claim. | Madeleine McCann suspect Robert Murat says he feels "vindicated" after reaching a £600,000 settlement from 11 British newspapers in a libel claim. |
| Mr Murat said the more than 100 articles and sensational headlines about him had caused the "total and utter destruction" of his life. | Mr Murat said the more than 100 articles and sensational headlines about him had caused the "total and utter destruction" of his life. |
| He said an apology from the papers allowed him to "rebuild his life". | He said an apology from the papers allowed him to "rebuild his life". |
| Mr Murat is still an official suspect - or arguido - in the three-year-old's disappearance in Portugal in May 2007. | Mr Murat is still an official suspect - or arguido - in the three-year-old's disappearance in Portugal in May 2007. |
| The 34-year-old had travelled from his home in the Algarve to accept the settlement at London's High Court. | The 34-year-old had travelled from his home in the Algarve to accept the settlement at London's High Court. |
| His then girlfriend Michaela Walczuch and IT consultant Sergey Malinka also brought proceedings against Associated Newspapers, Express Newspapers, MGN Limited and News Group Newspapers and were awarded "substantial damages". | |
| They accept that Mr Murat's actions after the abduction were entirely proper and were motivated by a desire to help find Madeleine McCann Louis Charalambous Profile: Robert Murat | They accept that Mr Murat's actions after the abduction were entirely proper and were motivated by a desire to help find Madeleine McCann Louis Charalambous Profile: Robert Murat |
| Mr Murat's solicitor, Louis Charalambous, said they had taken the action over "baseless inaccurate media coverage". | Mr Murat's solicitor, Louis Charalambous, said they had taken the action over "baseless inaccurate media coverage". |
| He said the newspapers had accepted that they had not been involved in Madeleine's disappearance. | He said the newspapers had accepted that they had not been involved in Madeleine's disappearance. |
| "They accept that Mr Murat's actions after the abduction were entirely proper and were motivated by a desire to help find Madeleine McCann," Mr Charalambous said. | "They accept that Mr Murat's actions after the abduction were entirely proper and were motivated by a desire to help find Madeleine McCann," Mr Charalambous said. |
| The settlement, he said, would allow all three to "bury the lies published about them". | The settlement, he said, would allow all three to "bury the lies published about them". |
| Outside the court Mr Murat said: "I am pleased that the publications concerned have today admitted the falsity of all their allegations and I can now start to rebuild my life. | Outside the court Mr Murat said: "I am pleased that the publications concerned have today admitted the falsity of all their allegations and I can now start to rebuild my life. |
| "Today's statement of full apology in open court means I can emerge from this action vindicated and with the recognition and acknowledgement that what was said against me was wholly untrue." | "Today's statement of full apology in open court means I can emerge from this action vindicated and with the recognition and acknowledgement that what was said against me was wholly untrue." |
| In March, Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann reached a libel settlement and got an apology from Express Newspapers for suggesting they were responsible for her death. | In March, Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann reached a libel settlement and got an apology from Express Newspapers for suggesting they were responsible for her death. |