The Fianna Fail TD, Ms Beverley Cooper-Flynn, was likened to American actor Kevin Costner at the High Court yesterday. Far from being Little Red Riding Hood, the TD was "quite happy to dance with wolves" and did so for many years, it was claimed.
The "house came down" when RTE began to broadcast reports about the CMI investment scheme which in turn led to allegations about the TD by a retired farmer, Mr James Howard, Mr Paul O'Higgins SC, argued.
He was giving his closing address on behalf of Mr Howard, of Drogheda, Co Louth, on the 26th day of the action in which Ms Cooper-Flynn is suing the farmer, RTE and journalist Charlie Bird.
She claims she was libelled in RTE radio and television broadcasts between June 19th, 1998, and July 1st, 1998.
Mr O'Higgins suggested Ms Cooper-Flynn, who has denied meeting Mr Howard, was not telling the truth.
A closing address on behalf of Ms Cooper-Flynn will be given today and the president of the High Court, Mr Justice Morris, will begin his summing up and charge tomorrow. He is expected to conclude by lunchtime after which the jury will retire to consider its decision.
The judge said yesterday if the jury did not come to any conclusion tomorrow, he would speak to counsel. If there was no decision on Friday evening, he indicated the jury might adjourn until Monday.
Earlier yesterday, Mr O'Higgins said the case boiled down to Mr Howard's word against Ms Cooper-Flynn's, corroborated to one degree or another by certain factors.
Counsel rejected a suggestion made during the hearing that Mr Howard was a coward who had not been prepared to come forward in public with the allegations [which he made on the RTE programmes].
He said Mr Howard was probably reluctant to come out in public as he was in trouble with the Revenue Commissioners. It was embarrassing to have to come forward and say Ms Cooper-Flynn had dealt with him.
That did not mean he was a coward who was afraid to come forward. He was not worried about letting Ms Cooper-Flynn know he was making allegations against her. He had complained to NIB about her.