Day 248 - 13 May 96 - Page 16
1 Q. So, if something is only 90 per cent correct that is fine
2 by you is it?
3 A. We are talking about a document with about ten or 12
4 paragraphs on it which are absolutely correct; there is one
5 where, for an honest mistake, there was a slight error.
6 I do not think it is material, given the statements that
7 you yourselves, via your McLibel support campaign, have
8 made in press releases accusing McDonald's of lying.
9 Again, as I said last week, we did nothing until you began
10 to release your material. I had no intention of doing
11 anything until you released yours, and felt I had to
12 protect my customers, my employees, my licensees and
13 suppliers. But the basics of that page are true.
14
15 Q. Does it protect your customers if you lie to them?
16 A. I did not lie to them, I did not knowingly say
17 something that I knew to be untrue.
18
19 Q. Mr. Love says here that it is not possible to arrange an
20 interview with you as you are currently giving evidence in
21 court and legally unable to discuss the case. Is that
22 true?
23 A. I believe it is true. I have not been able to discuss
24 anything I have said with my lawyers, with my barrister,
25 for almost 2 years now.
26
27 Q. You have discussed the case have you not?
28 A. I have made two statements, that being we came to court
29 to do one thing, and one thing alone, establish the truth,
30 and in so doing show the leaflet in question as libellous
31 and as baseless and we are going to get to the bottom of
32 that truth here. That is all I have said to anybody.
33
34 Q. Who have you said that to?
35 A. I said it to several reporters.
36
37 Q. Right. So, you have actually discussed the case with
38 several reporters?
39 A. I have made a statement about our intentions to court,
40 intentions for coming to court, I have not discussed any
41 issue with anybody involving this case.
42
43 Q. But your intention is one of the areas of dispute, is it
44 not, because it is the subject of the counterclaim?
45 A. Well, I think we presented many facts about that, we
46 had a lot of discussion about it. It is getting to the
47 point where it is a matter for his Lordship. I have a
48 right to defend myself and my company against the things
49 you yourselves were putting out.
50
51 Q. But the point is that this is another lie, is it not,
52 Mr. Preston, because you do talk to the media about the
53 case?
54 A. No, I do not.
55
56 Q. And yet you are saying that you cannot do so?
57 A. I do not talk to the media about the case, the issues
58 in it, other than why we came here.
59
60 Q. Right. But that is the case, or part of the case.
