Gemma O’Doherty says idea of misleading followers ‘anathema’ to her

Gemma O’Doherty has told the High Court she did not set out to mislead her internet followers over the use of the words “paedophile brother of Veronica Guerin”.

She said the most important thing to her as a journalist “is to tell the truth because this book [pointing to the witness-box Bible} is the most important book for me and at the end of the day I believe I am only accountable to God”.

She continued: “The idea I could mislead my 65,000 followers is just anathema to me and I could not get into the mind of a person who could do that.”

She was giving evidence on the third day of defamation proceedings brought by councillor Jimmy Guerin, a brother of murdered journalist Veronica Guerin, over certain Facebook and Twitter posts, and an internet broadcast on Gemma.TV/Gemmaodohertytv.com in July 2019.

In them she referred to the “paedophile brother” of Veronica Guerin or “ho...
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