Defamation case against Gemma O'Doherty by Veronica Guerin's brother begins next month

High Court reporters

A defamation case against Gemma O’Doherty taken by a brother of murdered journalist Veronica Guerin has been fixed for next month by the High Court.

Ms O’Doherty is being sued by Jimmy Guerin, who is an independent Fingal County Councillor.

Mr Guerin has submitted that Ms O’Doherty defamed him in social media posts and a website video, which, he claims, meant he was a convicted paedophile.

He sued Ms O’Doherty, a former journalist with the Irish Independent, over the postings on Twitter (X), Facebook and her own internet video broadcast portal.

The broadcast includes a statement of “how the brother of Veronica Guerin” was found with large quantities of child sexual abuse images.

Ms O’Doherty claims she was referring to Mr Guerin’s brother, Martin Guerin (73), who pleaded guilty in 2019 to possession of hundreds of images and 146 movie files of child pornography for which he received a two-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentence.

At the High Court on Thursday, Mr Justice Alexander Owens fixed November 19th as a date for the hearing of the case, telling Ms O’Doherty, who was present in the court, that he was "trying to do the best" he can for her.

Ms O’Doherty said the case was part of a “six-year campaign of harassment against a journalist”.

“I am trying to do the best I can for you as best as I can,” said Mr Justice Owens again, who added that he could not “make time when there is no time”.

When the November 19th date was fixed by the judge, Ms O’Doherty said: “Absolute disgrace.”

Ronan Lupton SC, for Mr Guerin, said their case was ready to proceed.

The hearing before a High Court judge and jury is expected to last up to five days.