Monday 20 June 2011

Sorry we said you were 'sexting' while your fiancé was pregnant

Yesterday's Scottish News of the World published the following apology:

In an article published on July 25, 2010, under the heading ‘Glove Rat’, we suggested former Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc had sent x-rated texts and pictures by phone to a mystery woman while his fiancé was pregnant.

We now accept these allegations were untrue and texts and pictures referred to were not sent by Mr Boruc.

We apologise for the wrong report and for any distress we may have caused to Mr Boruc and his fiancé.

The apology came with substantial damages of £70,000.

According to the BBC:

Roddy Dunlop QC, for News Group, said they thought they had good reason - at the time - to carry the story but had been "victim of a highly complex deceit by one man".

Mr Dunlop said: "The defenders accept that they were entirely taken in by this fraud but they were not reckless or irresponsible in the beliefs that they held.

"It was only when the phone details began to emerge that the tissue of lies was revealed."

But Roy Greenslade picks up some interesting quotes from the original article:

"Last night a friend of the Hoops hero... said: 'This is not a good time for this to come out. Artur's been stupid.'

The pal, who asked not to be named, added: 'He can't remember what he sent her but he should NEVER have done it.'"

Greenslade says:

In the light of the paper's admission that the story itself was untrue, these quotes are exposed as having been concocted.

3 comments:

  1. Not defending the Screws' made-up quotes for a second, but Spot The Ball Greenslade's in no position to be criticising a newspaper for making things up...

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  2. I don't know the ins and outs of this story (celebrity gossip excites me about as much as a plate of cold mashed potato), but is it possible that the "one man" who deceived the paper is also the "pal who asked not to be named"? The quotes were obviously concocted, but were they necessarily concocted by the journalists?

    Not that it excuses the paper from swallowing whatever cold mashed potato they're served up with, but it's a question that comes to mind.

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  3. I was the forensic examiner who investigated the evidence against News of the World.

    The two recovered Blackberry devices belonging to the woman who supposedly received the messages/photos from Artur Boruc provided with all the proof needed to make a case against the News of the World. The photos were so badly photoshoped that further analysis was not even required. To make matters worse for the NotW , the original photos of a man's torso where a fake monkey tattoo was superimposed, were discovered.

    Last but not least, upon my advice Mr Boruc's solicitors got hold of the records of the number who sent the alleged messages.

    Further Cell Site Analysis provided evidence that the said photos/messages were sent from the wider Glasgow area (one near the address of the registered owner of the number, and one from a cell site close to Hilton Hotel in Glasgow).

    It was a big surprise how a newspaper would publish stories like that when they had the chance to forensically examine the evidence in advance.

    I guess ... as long as the paper sells that day .. that is all that matters !

    Vassilis Manoussos, MSc,PGC,BSc,AAS
    Digital Forensics Consultant, Strathclyde Forensics
    www.StrathclydeForensics.co.uk

    ReplyDelete

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