Day 255 - 23 May 96 - Page 08

     
     1
     2   Q.   You do not remember this one?
     3        A.  No.
     4
     5   Q.   Tab 6?
     6        A.  Yes.
     7
     8   Q.   We will come back to it -- I suppose we could do it now.
     9        What was the position with the Veggies fact sheet?  Was it
    10        your idea to take action over it?  I mean, by "taking
    11        action" that includes writing a solicitor's letter?
    12        A.  Yes. I would certainly bring it to the attention of
    13        Barlows, and we would sit round and discuss what we needed
    14        to do, and either Barlows advised me or I asked Barlows to
    15        write to Veggies.
    16
    17   Q.   Was that a similar situation where you sat down with the
    18        leaflet and went through it and picked out all the parts
    19        you considered to be libellous?
    20        A.  I am not sure.  I can remember the document because
         I had already met Veggies.  I knew the chap who ran Veggies
    22        in Nottingham.  I think it was suggested at that time that
    23        we would just write to him, point out to him that we felt
    24        the document was libellous. I cannot remember the wording
    25        of the letter now.
    26
    27   Q.   If you leave that file open and put it on one side.  You do
    28        not remember how a decision was come to on what to write to
    29        Veggies about?
    30        A.  I would sit and discuss. I cannot even remember who at
    31        Barlows dealt with it; I do not know whether it was
    32        Mrs. Brinley-Codd or whether it was Mr. Ian Jenkins, but we
    33        would sit down and talk about it and we said that we would
    34        write.
    35
    36   Q.   But presumably you would have read the whole thing?
    37        A.  Yes.
    38
    39   Q.   And you would have identified the parts that you considered
    40        to be libellous?
         A.  Yes.
    42
    43   Q.   And that would have been what you instructed the solicitors
    44        to write about?
    45        A.  Probably, yes.
    46
    47   Q.   Would you get out the Defendants' List of Documents,
    48        document No. 208 according to the numbering at the bottom.
    49
    50   MR. JUSTICE BELL: This is the original list, is it? 
    51 
    52   MS. STEEL:   Yes, the original list.  It might just be under tab 
    53        8 because we have not got the hundreds in?
    54        A.  Yes, I think I have it.
    55
    56   Q.   Do you have a letter there from Barlow Lyde & Gilbert dated
    57        8th October 1987?
    58        A.  Yes.
    59
    60   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Hold on a moment.