Anti-abortion group Precious Life to pay five-figure sum in damages to former media commentator and businesswoman Barbara Whearty over false tweet

Precious Life also issued an apology to Barbara Whearty as part of the settlement reached in her libel action.

Ms Whearty, who previously ran a café in Belfast, sued over a posting on the group’s Twitter account three years ago.

The tweet related to an alleged encounter with pro-life campaigners at Cornmarket in the city centre on June 1, 2019.

At one stage Ms Whearty had been accused of assaulting activists, but charges were later dropped by the Public Prosecution Service.

Defamation proceedings were brought against Precious Life, the affiliated Youth for Life NI, and Bernadette Smyth as administrator of the group’s Twitter profile.

In court today Mr Justice McAlinden was told that the action is to be stayed, with a statement read out on behalf of the defendants.

Barrister Peter Hopkins said: “On June 1, 2019, a member of Youth for Life NI published a tweet on the twitter account @PreciousLifeCom concerning Barbara Whearty, which contained an untrue and defamatory allegation in respect of her conduct towards Youth for Life NI members in Cornmarket, Belfast on the same day.

“It having been brought to their attention, Precious Life accepts that the tweet should not have been published on that Twitter account.

“Precious Life unreservedly withdraws that allegation and apologies to Ms Whearty for damaging her reputation.

“Accordingly, Precious Life has agreed to the payment of a five-figure sum in respect of damages and legal costs to Barbara Whearty.”

Ms Whearty did not attend court for confirmation of the settlement, but in a statement she described the personal impact of the incident.

“Nothing can compensate for the trauma caused by the events of June 1, 2019 or the libellous accusations and criminal charges that were brought by the PPS on the basis of the false accusations,” she said.

“The toll extorted from myself and my family as a result has been incalculable.

“I am deeply grateful to my husband and son, who was just 10 weeks old when this began, for their love and patience.”

Thanking her legal team, she added: “With the conclusion of this harrowing chapter I am now free to start a new one in which I can, in some small part, make up the time stolen by these lies.”

Her solicitor, Ciaran Moynagh of Phoenix Law, said: “Our client is very much relieved to have this negative and upsetting experience brought to a conclusion.

“The consequences of tweeting cannot be underestimated and has real life effects on people like my client.

“This case sends an important reminder that people’s action on social media can have costly real-life ramifications.”