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Amber Harrison: ‘Costs will drive me to bankruptcy’

Amber Harrison today addressed the court for the first time asking the judge to order a "walkaway" from Seven.

A hearing in the Seven West Media / Amber Harrison case in a packed NSW Supreme Court was adjourned within its first few minutes today, after lawyers for Seven again objected to statements Harrison was due to read out via a phone hook-up.

After a third draft was prepared Harrison told the court she has already consented to an order preventing her from speaking publicly about the case, but that being forced to pay costs would bankrupt her.

She described Seven’s actions as brutal, protracted and unnecessary.

“Seven chose to run this trial and they should pay for it,” she said.

“Seven have half a dozen lawyers in the room today. Seven are professional litigators, their pockets for litigation are deep and their appetite for it is endless.

“Seven has always deliberately tried to increase costs.

“They are getting their injunction, their trial, their win and all the orders they seek,” she said.

“Seven seeking costs against me will drive me into bankruptcy. I am a foster parent and if I have costs against me, it will affect my family”.

But Seven counsel Dr Andrew Bell SC said, Harrison’s “colourful” statement contained “at least 12 wrong false or misconceived statements and is marked by a very high degree of revisionism.”

“We know nothing about Ms Harrison’s financial circumstances,” he said.

“Other than she received in excess of $400,000 from Channel Seven in return for promises that she breached.

“These proceedings were initiated when a former employee published on Twitter stolen documents containing confidential legal advice to the Channel 7 Board about a matter which had nothing to do with the former employee,” Dr Bell said.

“That former employee had taken images of those documents in an unauthorised way, had retained them, and published that material on the internet in February this year”.

“I should not be punished by the Supreme Court for taking a stand,” Harrison said.

“I ask you to order a walkaway between Seven and I.”

The judge will make his decision by the end of the week.

Source: ABC, The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald

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