A former Fianna Fáil press officer who is suing the Star newspaper for libel said a "desperately suggestive" article in the newspaper could lead people to assume she was a person of "low moral calibre" who would seek to bring down a government in the same manner as English call-girl Mandy Rice-Davis.
Ms Mandy Johnston, now head of the Government Information Service, said she was disgusted and offended by the article, published in September 1996, which referred both to her and to Ms Rice-Davis.
Nor did she think the article was funny.
"I thought the presentation of the article was desperately suggestive, " Ms Johnston said.
Referring to the display alongside the article of a photograph of call-girl Christine Keeler nude and sitting astride a chair, Ms Johnston said she believed the use of the photograph was leading. She also believed the use in the article of words like "sexual shenanigans" and the description of Ms Johnston as "Bertie Ahern's batgirl beavering away" was demeaning to her.
She believed that the some 90,000 readers of the Star would, on reading the article, think she was a person "of ill-repute".
Ms Johnston (31), of Tuscany Park, Baldoyle, Co Dublin, is suing Independent Star Ltd and journalist John Donlon for alleged libel arising out of the article.
The defence admits publication of the words complained of but denies libel or that they contained the meaning alleged by Ms Johnston.
Evidence in the case concluded yesterday and closing speeches will be made on Tuesday after which the jury will be sent out to consider their verdict. The court heard that immediately on Ms Johnston's appointment as press officer with Fianna Fáil in August 1996, a press release and photo of her were sent to the newspapers.Fianna Fáil was in opposition then.
Ms Johnston got a phone call from Mr Donlon, who asked how she was doing in her new job.
Mr Garrett Cooney SC, for Ms Johnston, said she said her job was going fine. Mr Donlon asked if she thought she would be able to bring down a Government. Ms Johnston said: "Well I nearly brought down a Government before." She had referred to Mandy Rice-Davis.
The conversation was casual and friendly. Mr Donlon asked for a photo of Ms Johnston as he could not find the one already sent out.
He was sent a replacement photo by courier. Then, on September 14th, 1996, an article appeared in the Star which offended and disgusted Ms Johnston. Mr Cooney read the story.
The court was told the article was by Backbencher, understood to be Mr Donlon. Beside the article was a photograph of Christine Keeler sitting in reverse in a state of nakedness on a chair and a photograph of Ms Johnston.
Ms Johnston found it personally offensive that she should be associated with the Profumo Affair in Britain in the 1960s. The newspaper demeaned her and took away her respectability which had never been questioned before. She was disgusted that she should be compared with Mandy Rice-Davis and Christine Keeler, who were call-girls.
In evidence, Ms Johnston said she joined the Fianna Fáil press office in March 1995 and became press officer in August 1996.
She considered she had a good relationship with Mr Donlon, who was political correspondent of the Star at the time. On September 12th, she spoke to Mr Donlon.
The conversation was extremely friendly and he congratulated her on her promotiom.
He had asked her about Mr John Bruton's Government (then in office) and she had referred to Mandy Rice-Davis and that woman's role in bringing down the British government.
He had asked her for a photograph and she said he already had one. The conversation lasted about 40 seconds and she did not consider it an interview. She saw the article and she realised it was about her.
"I was desperately upset and embarrassed and could not understand how this could have happened. I didn't feel the conversation justified this."
While she knew a lot of people found it funny, she certainly did not.
She described as absurd, insulting and disgusting the suggestion that she had offered the newspaper a topless photograph of herself. Despite her subsequent promotion, she was still very angry at the way the article was presented. She had never received an apology.
Journalist John Donlon told the court that he believed he was doing Mandy Johnston "a favour" when he wrote the article. Mr Donlon, now with the Sunday World, said the article was written in a light manner to get away from "the more stodgy political commentaries" in the "more heavy newspapers".
He did not believe it had damaged Ms Johnston and if he thought it had hurt her, he would have apologised to her.
He knew Mandy Johnston as they both came from Longford and there was quite a "Longford Mafia".
She was excellent at her job and was a very warm person, he said. They were in touch on a regular basis.
It was a very friendly conversation. She had stated she would not be the first Mandy to bring down a government. When he asked her what she meant, she said Mandy Rice-Davis, and they went on to talk about the Profumo affair in England in the 1960s and what had happened at that time.
He asked her about a photograph and there was a very good- humoured conversation. He said she had said: "Would you like one topless of me?".
Mr Donlon said he knew that was a joke. Mr Donlon said the remark about Mandy Rice-Davis by Ms Johnston was made in a light-hearted way and he had used it in a light-hearted manner. The case continues.
