Coleen Rooney has contested “misleading” claims made by Rebekah Vardy in the High Court regarding the substantial costs incurred during the 2022 Wagatha libel trial.
Mrs. Vardy, who lost the trial, is challenging the “sheer magnitude” of costs she must pay Mrs. Rooney, totaling over £1.8m. On Tuesday, Robin Dunne, representing Mrs. Rooney, refuted claims made by Mrs. Vardy’s KC, Jamie Carpenter, regarding hotel costs incurred by a lawyer representing Mrs. Rooney.
Mr. Dunne stated that the claims were “factually incorrect” and potentially defamatory. He explained that the lawyer had initially booked a modest hotel but transferred to the Nobu Hotel due to issues with wi-fi and the shower. The room rate was secured at a reduced rate of £295, comparable to a Premier Inn.
Addressing the alleged £225 food and minibar tab, Mr. Dunne clarified that the minibar bill consisted of £7 for two bottles of water, and the lawyer did not dine at the Nobu restaurant.
Senior Costs Judge Andrew Gordon-Saker rejected Mrs. Vardy’s claims that Mrs. Rooney’s use of London-based law firm Stewarts was unreasonable. He stated, “This was always going to be a high-profile case… Defamation is still a specialist area, and most firms who specialize in defamation are based in central London.”
Judge Gordon-Saker also dismissed Mrs. Vardy’s claim that Mrs. Rooney’s 30 consultations with barrister David Sherborne, costing nearly £500,000, were unreasonable. However, he suggested that less experienced lawyers should have been charged at a lower hourly rate.
The Wagatha Christie trial captivated the nation, with Mrs. Justice Steyn ruling that Mrs. Rooney’s accusations against Mrs. Vardy were “substantially true.” Mrs. Rooney had conducted a sting operation to uncover the source of leaked stories from her private Instagram account.
In an interview with British Vogue, Mrs. Rooney described the trial as “horrible” but expressed relief at winning. Mrs. Vardy trademarked the phrase “Wagatha Christie” after losing and inspired the Olivier Award-nominated play, Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial.
“The relief was everything,” Mrs. Rooney said.
