The Daily Mail has settled a libel action brought by a property developer over inaccurate allegations that she mistreated her late husband’s son and his family over inheritance claims.
Zipporah Lisle-Mainwaring launched high court proceedings over two articles that appeared in April last year, when she hit the headlines for painting her house in red and white stripes after a row with neighbours over a basement extension.
On Monday, she accepted an undisclosed sum in damages, which she will donate to charity, her legal costs and an unreserved apology from Associated Newspapers.
Her counsel, Sara Mansoori, told Mr Justice Nicol in London that the newspaper had now accepted that the claims were untrue.
The articles wrongly repeated allegations made by Robert Lisle, her late husband’s son, and his second wife, Sally, that Lisle-Mainwaring had unreasonably denied them money that they claimed had been promised to them and was properly due to them.
The publication had a detrimental effect on her reputation among friends, family and business associates, and caused her acute distress and embarrassment, said counsel.
Christina Michalos, for Mail publisher Associated Newspapers, said that a few days after publication, it added a footnote to the online version of the second article explaining Lisle-Mainwaring’s generosity to her late husband’s son and his family.
It subsequently removed both articles in their entirety and had undertaken not to publish similar allegations in future.
