View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Law
September 5, 2008

West Ham star Bellamy sues Sun over assault story

By Sarah Limbrick

Footballer Craig Bellamy is seeking unlimited libel damages from The Sun.

He claims that a story headed: “Bellamy beat up charity worker” published in June was defamatory. Now he is demanding unlimited damages of more than £300,000 from publishers News Group Newspapers.

Bellamy, who plays for West Ham, is also seeking an injunction banning repetition of the words at the centre of his claim.

The page seven story was accompanied by a photo of him captioned: “Rage … West Ham striker Bellamy” and a photo of Sierra Leone captioned: “Trouble spot … Freetown, where Bellamy was involved in a new bust-up”.

The story claimed he had committed a violent and unprovoked attack on an innocent charity worker in a club in Sierra Leone, who was helping to raise money fro orphaned children, according to a High Court writ.

Bellamy, who is the founder of the Craig Bellamy Foundation which set up a national football development league and academy in the war-torn country, says he was distressed and embarrassed by the story.

His reputation was also damaged by the words, he says. He is also seeking aggravated damages, saying the allegation that he had assaulted a charity worker in Sierra Leone was particularly damaging and likely to undermine his efforts to win support and funds for his project.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Bellamy complains that the story was published in a sensational manner, with a highly inflammatory and emotive headline, and appeared despite his agent had denied the story. His agent’s denial was buried deep in the story, and mentioned in such a cursory way it did not diminish the force of the allegation in the minds of readers, he claims.

He is also angry about what he says is a wholly gratuitous comparison with David Beckham, and the paper’s refusal to apologise or admit the story is defamatory. Bellamy is also suing over the website version of the story.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network