Rebekah Vardy has raised concerns about the substantial legal fees incurred by Coleen Rooney during their high-profile libel trial, famously dubbed as “Wagatha Christie.” The costs include extravagant expenses such as a lawyer’s stay at the luxurious Nobu Hotel and hefty minibar charges, as disclosed in court.
Vardy, the spouse of Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy, faced defeat in the lawsuit against Rooney for defamation back in July 2022.
The dispute originated when Rooney accused Vardy of leaking confidential details to the media via social platforms in 2019. Subsequently, Mrs. Justice Steyn ruled that these allegations were mostly accurate. In a later ruling, Vardy was ordered to cover 90% of Rooney’s legal expenses.
Both parties have returned to court to settle the final payment amount. Vardy’s legal team argued that Rooney’s side inflated costs unreasonably, resulting in a staggering bill totaling £1,833,906.89.
During a recent hearing session represented by Jamie Carpenter KC on behalf of Vardy, it was highlighted that one of Rooney’s lawyers stayed at Nobu Hotel while accumulating significant dining and minibar charges – all included in the bill.
On the other hand, Robin Dunne representing Rooney accused Vardy of misconduct throughout the case and suggested that costs could have been lower with appropriate litigation conduct from her end.
2024-10-07 11:02:47
Link from www.theguardian.com
