Day 258 - 07 Jun 96 - Page 56
1 That was it, "We want to stop this". So you, personally,
2 instructed private investigators?
3 A. Yes.
4
5 Q. He told you to stop it when, this fact sheet?
6 A. Round about June.
7
8 Q. Round about June?
9 A. Yes.
10
11 Q. You were the person who was going to take responsibility
12 for stopping this fact sheet?
13 A. I was the person -----
14
15 Q. Was there any way you were going to stop it apart from
16 litigation?
17 A. Certainly. I would have thought that when this was
18 finished if -- one of the ways we could have done it was to
19 write to you and say, "Look, we now know who was
20 distributing; you are the people responsible; will you stop
21 distributing?" As it was, that was not the advice I was
22 given by our solicitors.
23
24 Q. The first thing that was written to London Greenpeace was
25 -- well, nothing was written to London Greenpeace. The
26 first thing that was written ---
27 A. No, no, it was -----
28
29 Q. -- were letters to five people saying, "You have a writ for
30 defamation"?
31 A. Quite right. As the observation went along, and the
32 evidence got stronger and stronger, it was decided that we
33 would go for writ.
34
35 Q. Right. As the evidence that London Greenpeace were
36 involved in distribution?
37 A. Yes, and the people -----
38
39 Q. Which you knew, of course, was 100 per cent -----
40
41 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You must let him finish the answer and then
42 ask your next question.
43
44 THE WITNESS: And we had identified the individuals responsible.
45
46 MR. MORRIS: Yes, but you knew London Greenpeace were producing
47 a fact sheet that you wanted stopped; it would not matter
48 if it was two individuals or seven individuals or 77
49 individuals, but it -----
50
51 MR. JUSTICE BELL: We have had lots of evidence on this already.
52
53 MR. MORRIS: The point is that you took no action whatsoever of
54 any kind to stop the distribution of this fact sheet,
55 except for to prepare a legal case against named
56 individuals?
57
58 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Now, put what conclusion I am to draw from
59 that.
60
