London – A Jewish pilot from South-West London has accepted a public apology and "substantial" damages at London's High Court after the Daily Mail alleged he was being investigated over claims that two air stewardesses had been given drugs.
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Captain Tony Pollock, 50, a Boeing 747 pilot with British Airways, who sued over an article. His counsel, Ronald Thwaites QC, told libel judge Mr Justice David Eady: The article stated that the claimant was under investigation following allegations that two stewardesses had been administered a drug during a stopover in Los Angeles.
After a lengthy investigation, BA concluded that there had been no failure by the claimant in his duty of care."
He said that Captain Pollock, a BA pilot for 20 years, was a "man of complete integrity", and that the Daily Mail's publishers, Associated Newspapers, had now agreed to pay him "substantial damages" and his legal costs, as well as to publish an apology.
In a written statement issued after the hearing, Captain Pollock said: "Whilst this litigation has been quite a hurdle, I was determined from the outset not to let this go unchecked." [thejc]
This is another version of the old adage of “Put[ting] Your money where your mouth is. Except that in this case, the specific “Tabloids” put their mouths out first, and then had to pay.