This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30235009

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Plebgate: Andrew Mitchell loses libel case Andrew Mitchell 'probably called police plebs', judge rules
(about 1 hour later)
Former government chief whip Andrew Mitchell has lost his High Court libel action over the "plebgate" incident. Ex-chief whip Andrew Mitchell probably did call police officers "plebs", a judge has said as he ruled against the Tory MP in a High Court libel action.
Mr Justice Mitting said he was satisfied that the MP did say the word "pleb". Mr Justice Mitting described Mr Mitchell's behaviour as "childish" and said he found the MP's version of events inconsistent with CCTV footage of the row in Downing Street in 2012.
Mr Mitchell sued News Group Newspapers over a story in the Sun in 2012 which claimed he called PC Toby Rowland a "pleb". Mr Mitchell, who may face costs of £2m, said he was "bitterly disappointed".
The officer involved, PC Toby Rowland, said he hoped a "line can be drawn".
Mr Mitchell sued News Group Newspapers over a story that appeared in the Sun in September 2012 which claimed he called PC Toby Rowland a "pleb".
Mr Mitchell acknowledged that he had used bad language but maintained he had not used that word.Mr Mitchell acknowledged that he had used bad language but maintained he had not used that word.
The altercation took place as Mr Mitchell, who was government chief whip at the time, attempted to leave Downing Street via the main gate on his bicycle in September 2012. The altercation took place as Mr Mitchell, who was government chief whip at the time, attempted to leave Downing Street via the main gate on his bicycle.
'Politically toxic'
Mr Justice Mitting gave his verdict after listening to two weeks of evidence from 26 witnesses and considering volumes of documents concerning a 15-second exchange.
Weighing up the competing claims, the judge said PC Rowland was "not the sort of man who would have had the wit, imagination or inclination to invent on the spur of the moment an account of what a senior politician had said to him in temper".
He added that gaps and inconsistencies in PC Rowland's account did not demonstrate he fabricated his account, as Mr Mitchell's lawyers had claimed.
If he was making up his account, PC Rowland would have had to have come up with the words within seconds, according to the judge.
Giving his ruling, Mr Justice Mitting said: "For the reasons given I am satisfied at least on the balance of probabilities that Mr Mitchell did speak the words alleged or something so close to them as to amount to the same including the politically toxic word pleb."
Outside court, the BBC's legal correspondent Clive Coleman said the ruling would be "devastating" for Mr Mitchell's reputation.