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Noel Clarke tells court he is 'victim of unlawful conspiracy' Noel Clarke tells court he is 'victim of unlawful conspiracy'
(about 2 hours later)
Noel Clarke has told the High Court he is the victim of an "unlawful conspiracy" involving The Guardian and a large number of other individuals after allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour were made against him. The Guardian newspaper acted as the "judge, jury and executioner" of Noel Clarke's career and reputation, the actor's lawyer has told the High Court.
In written submissions, Mr Clarke's legal team said allegations that the award-winning actor, writer, producer and director was a "serial abuser of women" were false. The 49-year-old is suing the paper for libel over a series of articles from 2021 and 2022 that included allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour.
It added that the "conspirators'" intention was to cause him "irreparable" financial and reputational damage. In written submissions as the trial opened, the Doctor Who and Kidulthood star's legal team said claims that he was a "serial abuser of women" were false, and that he was the victim of an "unlawful conspiracy".
The Guardian has said told the court that it will be defending its journalism as being both true and in the public interest, and described the conspiracy claim as a "wild allegation". Guardian News and Media (GNM) told the court it would defend its journalism as being both true and in the public interest, and described the conspiracy claim as a "wild allegation".
The newspaper's articles featured claims from a number of women in the film and TV industry who reportedly accused him of groping and sexually inappropriate behaviour over a number of years.
The allegations against Mr Clarke were published in a series of articles in the Guardian in 2021 and 2022. He is now suing Guardian News and Media (GNM). Mr Clarke's barrister Philip Williams told the court his client had been wrongly called a predator.
He says that the articles were untrue and that The Guardian "played the role of judge, jury and executioner" of his career and reputation. "A sexual predator is not a womaniser, or someone who has had an extramarital affair, or a flirt, or a man who looks for mutually beneficial opportunities for sexual intercourse," he said.
The articles featured claims from a number of women in the film and TV industry who reportedly accused him of groping and sexually inappropriate behaviour, over a number of years. "Mr Clarke is absolutely not, and never has been, a sexual predator. The Guardian has got it plum wrong."
Mr Clarke, who is best known for his work in the films Kidulthood, Adulthood and Brotherhood, vehemently denies the allegations. The barrister continued: "The Guardian acted like archaeologists, and tried to dig up the past... they came up with a story that had more holes than a colander."
He is expected to start giving evidence later today. Mr Williams said the actor had been "completely exiled" from the film industry since the stories were published, and was "perceived as a criminal by all those who previously trusted and worked with him".
In its written submissions, The Guardian said that it will be defending the case, and that the trial will hear from 16 women who it says will give tell the court about Mr Clarke's conduct first-hand. In written submissions for the trial, he said GNM's sources were "hostile" and had "an axe to grind" against the actor, and that the "conspirators'" intention was to cause him "irreparable" financial and reputational damage.
It says they will give evidence of harassment, unwanted sexual conduct and sexual assault. Mr Williams said the actor "has clearly established the falsity of all of the allegations".
However, Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, said in written submissions that there was "ample evidence" that all of the articles were true or substantially true.
The Guardian said the trial would hear from 16 women who it said would tell the court about Mr Clarke's conduct first-hand. It said they would give evidence of harassment, unwanted sexual conduct and sexual assault.
"There is no motive for them to lie and the claimant has not suggested any, beyond making wild allegations as to an alleged conspiracy," it said.
The trial is scheduled to last for six weeks.The trial is scheduled to last for six weeks.