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Ex-Leeds director tells of 'upset' over Ken Bates campaign
FORMER Leeds United director Melvyn Levi yesterday spoke of the "huge upset" caused by club chairman Ken Bates's "campaign to discredit me" – which resulted in an expensive libel bill for the soccer chief.
Mr Levi also assured Leeds fans that his legal battle with Mr Bates was not directed towards the club and was only aimed at defending his name.
Mr Bates was ordered to pay 50,000 in damages on Thursday by the High Court and also faces a 1.5m bill for costs. He had accused Mr Levi of being "a shyster" who tried to blackmail the club after a dispute developed following Mr Bates's takeover of Leeds in 2005.
The club chairman described some aspects of the judgment delivered by Sir Charles Gray as "rather extraordinary" and said he was considering taking the case to the Court of Appeal.
But at a news conference in Leeds, Mr Levi described "a most difficult and testing four years for myself and my family."
He said at one point – after Mr Bates had published his home address in the club programme – his family had to carry personal alarms directly linked to the police.
He said: "The whole episode has been hugely upsetting to me. I am delighted and relived that the judgment recognises both that upset and that the action was not financially driven.
"The action had nothing to do with Leeds United, to whom I wish only success."
Mr Levi also warned that further legal action against Mr Bates may follow in the light of the judgment though he declined to say what this might involve.
The High Court heard how the libel action arose out of events surrounding the acquisition of Leeds by a consortium headed by Mr Bates in 2005.
Mr Levi was one of the members of the Yorkshire Consortium, which bought the club about 10 months before Mr Bates' purchase.
The businessman sued over "grave and offensive" libels in three articles written by Mr Bates in the club programme in 2006 and 2007 and a letter written to club members in August 2007.
Part of his case was that, in an article published in a programme in March 2007 entitled The Enemy Within, he was accused of blackmail, of being dishonourable and of making unscrupulous attempts to obtain money which had deterred investors in Leeds United.
In his ruling, judge, Sir Charles Gray said the "sting" of one of the publications lay in the reference to Mr Levi as a "shyster".
"That term would in my judgment have been understood to mean that Mr Levi is someone who engages in sharp, disreputable and dishonest practices," said Sir Charles.
The judge described the allegation of blackmail as "particularly serious".
He said the libels were repeated "on several occasions over a period of 10 months" and the "publishees, principally supporters of the club, were persons whose esteem Mr Levi valued".
Mr Bates had denied libel, but the judge ruled that he had failed in his defences of justification and fair comment.
Sir Charles said the 50,000 damages he awarded was in respect of the three match programmes "where the defences failed".
Mr Levi's claim in relation to the letter failed as the judge ruled that it was covered by qualified privilege.
In a statement, Mr Bates said: "We were disappointed in the judgment handed down, some aspects of which we find rather extraordinary, and we are considering an appeal."
He added that "...the Judge refused us leave to appeal, but also refused to give any reason why, which is unusual. But he will give written reasons in due course. When we have received his written reasons we will consider whether to go to the Court of Appeal."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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