Rebekah Vardy moved to tears in witness box during second day of evidence
Rebekah Vardy and her husband Jamie have left court early because “Mrs Vardy isn’t feeling very well”, her lawyer has said.
The Vardys did not return to the courtroom after a mid-afternoon break. Both sides’ lawyers are currently quizzing expert IT witnesses about how evidence in the trial, particularly Whatsapps between Ms Vardy and her agent, was recovered.
Earlier today, Wayne Rooney said he asked teammate Jamie Vardy to get his wife to “calm down” during Euro 2016 at the request of the England manager.
Mr Rooney said that then-national team boss Roy Hodgson and assistant Gary Neville wanted him to speak to the Leicester striker about the “distracting” media attention Rebekah Vardy was receiving during the tournament.
Giving evidence at the High Court libel trial brought against his wife, Coleen, Mr Rooney said that “[Mr Hodgson and Mr Neville] asked me to, as captain, would I be able to speak to Mr Vardy on issues regarding his wife.”
“So I agreed to speak to Mr Vardy… to ask him to ask his wife to calm down… It was an awkward moment for me to speak to Jamie about his wife but I thought it was necessary having been asked by the England manager,” he added.
Ms Vardy’s legal team dispute that this conversation took place.
Day six highlights
Holly Bancroftwho has been at the High Court in London for The Independenthas pulled together the key highlights to come from day six of the explosive trial:
Chiara Giordano17 May 2022 22:00
No hearing tomorrow
There will be no hearing taking place at the High Court on Wednesday.
It is now expected both Hugh Tomlinson QC, for Rebekah Vardy, and David Sherborne, for Coleen Rooney, will give their closing speeches on Thursday.
Mrs Justice Steyn is expected to give her decision in writing at a later date.
Chiara Giordano17 May 2022 20:22
Highlights from day six
All the evidence has now been heard in the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial at the High Court. Here are the highlights from day six:
– Wayne Rooney told the High Court that he had an “awkward” conversation with Jamie Vardy to get his wife to “calm down” her media activities during Euro 2016 at the request of the England manager.
– Mr Rooney said that Coleen has “become a different mother, a different wife” because of the stress of the libel trial.
– England’s top goalscorer said that he “didn’t want to get involved” with his wife’s social media sting, saying she is “an independent woman who does her own thing.”
– Coleen Rooney’s fake Instagram stories, which she used to run her sting operation, were revealed at the High Court.
– Wayne Rooney’s cousin Claire said she was referred to as “chavvy” in a WhatsApp message exchange between Rebekah Vardy and her agent.
– Splash news photographer said Ms Vardy knew all about leaks to the press, PR exec testified.
– Rebekah Vardy and her husband Jamie left her High Court libel trial early on Tuesday. One of Ms Vardy’s legal team told the court that they left early because “Mrs Vardy isnt feeling very well”.
– Defense witness Mr Matthew Blackband queried Ms Vardy’s account that her computer crashed when she tried to upload her Whatsapp chats with her agent and that’s why she lost key messages. “Based on the information that has been provided I would suggest that this is a manual deletion,” he said.
Holly Bancroft17 May 2022 18:17
ICYMI: Coleen Rooney has become ‘a different mother, a different wife’ because of trial
Wayne Rooney has said that his wife Coleen has “become a different mother, a different wife” because of the stress of the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel trial.
Speaking from the witness stand at the High Court on Tuesday, the former England captain and Derby County manager said he and his wife “don’t want to be in this court”.
Tom Batchelor17 May 2022 17:46
Court rises
The court has risen for the day. That concludes all the evidence in Rebekah Vardy’s libel trail against Coleen Rooney.
The trial will return on Thursday morning to hear closing arguments.
Holly Bancroft17 May 2022 16:58
Voices: True to form, at the Wagatha Christie trial Wayne Rooney may have just decided the game
Political sketch writer Tom Peck has delivered his verdict on day six of the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial. He writes:
“The witness box of Court 13 is far from the only box into which Wayne Rooney has made a well-timed late arrival, and the results were typically devastating.
Manchester United and England’s record goal scorer was the penultimate witness in his wife’s defense, and though we can’t know yet, it’s quite possible he’s decided the game.
At the latter stages of their careers, once-rampaging attackers like Rooney have to learn to play a little bit smarter. Their all action days are over. They can’t always track back. Instead they must conserve their energy, they must wait for the moment and then, wallop! They pounce.
Which is exactly what Wayne Rooney did.”
Read the full piece here:
Holly Bancroft17 May 2022 16:51
‘I would suggest that this is a manual deletion’, expert on Ms Vardy’s messages
Defense witness Mr Matthew Blackband has queried Ms Vardy’s account that her computer crashed when she tried to upload her Whatsapp chats with her agent and that’s why she lost key messages.
“I’m putting to you that that’s possible,” Ms Vardy lawyer said.
“I cannot see how that is possible,” replied Mr Blackband.
“Based on the information that has been provided I would suggest that this is a manual deletion,” he said.
Referring to the alleged computer crash, Mr Blackband told the court: “I cannot see how that would be an explanation as the download of the data has already occurred, a zip file has been formed.”
“I’ve not been able to identify a process that would cause that to happen.
“There would have to be a corruption of the database, which would mean that Whatsapp would not work,” he continued.
Holly Bancroft17 May 2022 16:27
Pictured: The Vardys leave court early
Rebekah Vardy and her husband Jamie have left her High Court libel trial early. Ms Vardy’s lawyer told the court that Ms Vardy wasn’t “feeling very well”.
(PA)
(REUTERS)
(REUTERS)
Holly Bancroft17 May 2022 15:55
An expert instructed by Rebekah Vardy found it “surprising” that there was an “absence” of WhatsApp messages between her and agent Caroline Watt after Ms Vardy tried to export messages from her device to her solicitors, the High Court was told.
Ian Henderson was asked a series of questions in court by Coleen Rooney’s barrister David Sherborne about Ms Vardy’s data, which the lawyer suggested had been “deleted” or “lost”.
Mr Sherborne put it to the expert that he described the “absence of this data being caused by the uploading process” as “somewhat surprising”, with Mr Henderson agreeing that he remembered saying that.
“Clearly by surprised you’re saying that is not what you would expect to have happened?” Mr Sherborne added.
“That is correct,” replied Mr Henderson.
Holly Bancroft17 May 2022 15:39
The Vardys leave early because ‘Mrs Vardy isn’t feeling very well’
One of Ms Vardy’s legal team has told the court that Rebekah Vardy and her husband Jamie have left early because “Mrs Vardy isnt feeling very well”.
Holly Bancroft17 May 2022 15:29
