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Andrew Mitchell shells out £80,000 over Plebgate incident | Andrew Mitchell shells out £80,000 over Plebgate incident |
(35 minutes later) | |
The police officer at the centre of the Plebgate incident has accepted £80,000 in damages from former Government chief whip Andrew Mitchell, a High Court judge was told today. | The police officer at the centre of the Plebgate incident has accepted £80,000 in damages from former Government chief whip Andrew Mitchell, a High Court judge was told today. |
PC Toby Rowland accepted the money as settlement of his libel action against the disgraced politician. | PC Toby Rowland accepted the money as settlement of his libel action against the disgraced politician. |
Mitchell had already been left with a huge legal bill following the failure of his two-year campaign to prove he was the victim of an orchestrated police conspiracy to bring him down following the September 2012 incident. | |
He attempted to sue News Group Newspapers, publishers of The Sun, after the newspaper published details of his angry outburst against police officers at Downing Street. The incident had occurred after they prevented him from cycling through the main gates and instead directed him to the pedestrian gate. | |
However, a ruling in November found that Mitchell had probably used the word "plebs" during the exchange and he was ordered to pay £300,000 in legal costs. | |
PC Rowland's lawyer, Jeremy Clarke-Williams, told Mr Justice Warby that since that judgment Mr Mitchell "has abandoned the other defences he had raised to my client's claim and consequently terms of settlement have been agreed". | |
The solicitor added: "The payment of £80,000 damages by Mr Mitchell sets the seal on PC Rowland's vindication, as well as providing compensation for the injury to his reputation and the distress caused to him and his family over many months." | |
Neither Mr Mitchell nor PC Rowland was in court. | |
Additional reporting by Press Association | Additional reporting by Press Association |