WIN Television has lost its defamation courtcase with former Shellharbour deputy mayor Michele Greig.

NSW Supreme Court judge Justice Peter McClelland dismissed WIN Television’s argument that the defamatory story it broadcast on March 28 last year was true.

A jury found the news story had defamed Mrs Greig three times, leading viewers to suspect she had acted corruptly.

The WIN story had said “questions are being raised at Shellharbour City Council” over Mrs Greig’s acceptance of two Blackberry devices from a private communications representative while she was handling a technology upgrade at the council in place of the mayor. It claimed Mrs Greig had been referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, which had recommended the matter be dealt with through a council code of conduct committee.

During the three-week hearing, WIN News then chief of staff Colin Duffy said he had written the report based on information given to him by Gino Mandarino and confirmed by mayor David Hamilton.

“I knew that I was totally innocent to everything, that the story was absolutely wrong,” Mrs Greig told the Illawarra Mercury. “It was traumatic … The whole (court) process is horrendous.”

Justice McClelland will now consider damages.

Source: Illawarra Mercury