Rebecca the wrecker faces the sin bin as Bulldogs boss sues for defamation
By Stephen Gibbs
July 15, 2005
Loggerheads … Wilson and Noad.
Photos: Ben Rushton and Steve Christo
Spitting, gouging and squirrel-gripping have all been taken off the paddock in rugby league. Now a club chief executive has hauled a sideline sniper before the judiciary.
Bulldogs boss Malcolm Noad has begun defamation action against the sports commentator Rebecca Wilson in the NSW Supreme Court, seeking aggravated damages for attacks upon his name.
Mr Noad alleges Wilson has repeatedly and maliciously trashed his reputation with lies and scandalous assaults on his credit in a vicious personal campaign.
The prospect of this action being heard in open court will make powerful sports and media figures in Sydney drool. Mr Noad was once Wilson's boss at News Ltd, where he was a director and held posts including managing director of the publisher of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, Nationwide News.
Among Mr Noad's reasons for claiming aggravated damages in his suit is "[Wilson's] act in exploiting her personal relationship with a senior executive of [News Ltd] in order to revenge herself upon [Mr Noad]".
Mr Noad also claims aggravated damages over what he says was Wilson's tape recording of a telephone conversation between the pair, which was published on May 6 in The Daily Telegraph.
The two have been at loggerheads publicly for most of the past 18 months, since allegations were aired that Bulldogs players raped a 20-year-old woman at Coffs Harbour in February last year.
Mr Noad was NRL chairman and a News Ltd director when the rape claim was first made. He announced his appointment as Bulldogs chief executive in early April.
Before he officially took up that position, Mr Noad met Deputy Police Commissioner Dave Madden to discuss reports that the rape inquiry had revealed evidence of a Bulldogs player being involved in drugs.
It was Mr Madden's release to Mr Noad of information - a player's secretly recorded telephone conversation - that has Mr Madden facing potential criminal charges of breaching the Telecommunications (Interception) Act.
After it became public that Mr Madden and four other officers faced censure over the meeting with Mr Noad, Wilson criticised Mr Noad while revisiting the original rape allegations that had resulted in no charges being laid.
Mr Noad published his response to Wilson in a letter on the club's website. Wilson retaliated in a May 7 radio broadcast on Triple M and in the Telegraph on May 14.
Mr Noad claims Wilson defamed him by suggesting he knowingly lied, caused Bulldogs supporters to send her death threats and obscene messages, and that he conducted a hate campaign against her.
"In consequence of [Wilson's] publication of the two matters, [Mr Noad] has been greatly injured in his occupation, credit, and reputation; and has been brought into public scandal, odium and contempt," Mr Noad's statement of claim
By Stephen Gibbs
July 15, 2005
Loggerheads … Wilson and Noad.
Photos: Ben Rushton and Steve Christo
Spitting, gouging and squirrel-gripping have all been taken off the paddock in rugby league. Now a club chief executive has hauled a sideline sniper before the judiciary.
Bulldogs boss Malcolm Noad has begun defamation action against the sports commentator Rebecca Wilson in the NSW Supreme Court, seeking aggravated damages for attacks upon his name.
Mr Noad alleges Wilson has repeatedly and maliciously trashed his reputation with lies and scandalous assaults on his credit in a vicious personal campaign.
The prospect of this action being heard in open court will make powerful sports and media figures in Sydney drool. Mr Noad was once Wilson's boss at News Ltd, where he was a director and held posts including managing director of the publisher of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, Nationwide News.
Among Mr Noad's reasons for claiming aggravated damages in his suit is "[Wilson's] act in exploiting her personal relationship with a senior executive of [News Ltd] in order to revenge herself upon [Mr Noad]".
Mr Noad also claims aggravated damages over what he says was Wilson's tape recording of a telephone conversation between the pair, which was published on May 6 in The Daily Telegraph.
The two have been at loggerheads publicly for most of the past 18 months, since allegations were aired that Bulldogs players raped a 20-year-old woman at Coffs Harbour in February last year.
Mr Noad was NRL chairman and a News Ltd director when the rape claim was first made. He announced his appointment as Bulldogs chief executive in early April.
Before he officially took up that position, Mr Noad met Deputy Police Commissioner Dave Madden to discuss reports that the rape inquiry had revealed evidence of a Bulldogs player being involved in drugs.
It was Mr Madden's release to Mr Noad of information - a player's secretly recorded telephone conversation - that has Mr Madden facing potential criminal charges of breaching the Telecommunications (Interception) Act.
After it became public that Mr Madden and four other officers faced censure over the meeting with Mr Noad, Wilson criticised Mr Noad while revisiting the original rape allegations that had resulted in no charges being laid.
Mr Noad published his response to Wilson in a letter on the club's website. Wilson retaliated in a May 7 radio broadcast on Triple M and in the Telegraph on May 14.
Mr Noad claims Wilson defamed him by suggesting he knowingly lied, caused Bulldogs supporters to send her death threats and obscene messages, and that he conducted a hate campaign against her.
"In consequence of [Wilson's] publication of the two matters, [Mr Noad] has been greatly injured in his occupation, credit, and reputation; and has been brought into public scandal, odium and contempt," Mr Noad's statement of claim