Paul Byrne, a broadcaster for Virgin Media, has settled his High Court lawsuit against the network regarding internal disciplinary proceedings levelled against him. The broadcaster, who has served as the southern correspondent for years, sought multiple judicial orders against what he believed was a defective disciplinary process. These allegations were refuted.
The case was brought before Mr Justice Mark Sanfey, with Mr Byrne’s chief lawyer, Eoin Clifford, announcing that after mediation, the conflict has been fully resolved. They then asked the issue be dismissed by the court. The details of the settlement, believed to be private, were not publicly discussed. Mr Justice Sanfey expressed his approval of the settlement.
Mr Byrne had previously been suspended over a live report he made on February 9th regarding the death of a young lad in County Waterford. The report alleged that the police were investigating the possibility that the boy had been drowned and placed in a car. Despite the information coming from two reliable sources and being corroborated by two other media outlets, the presenter was later found to be incorrect. Subsequently, he alleges that his suspension was a result of supposedly failing to consult with his supervisor before going on-air, in violation of the News Guidelines and Production Handbook.
Mr Byrne asserted that the harsh disciplinary process could have led to his dismissal on grounds of alleged gross misconduct. He rejected any fault on his part and contended that the proceedings were defective and excessive. The process, according to him, also lacked credibility and violated his contractual rights. As such, he began a court case last April, urging a court order to stop Virgin Media Ireland Ltd, and Virgin Media Television Ltd from continuing the disciplinary process, and to lift his suspension.
The accused parties dismissed Mr Byrne’s arguments, stating that the supposed breach was termed “serious in nature” due to Virgin Media’s position as a public broadcaster. They advised him of the need for action to prevent recurrence.