Julia Kushnir, the woman who survived the car crash in which former Fianna Fáil TD Liam Lawlor died, has settled her libel actions against five Irish newspapers.
Ms Kushnir, a Ukrainian interpreter based in Prague, was suing the Sunday World, the Sunday Independent, The Irish Sunday Mirror, the Sunday Tribune and the Irish Independent.
Lawyers for the Sunday World, Independent Newspapers and the Sunday Tribune apologised to Ms Kushnir in court today.
They said articles which alleged Mr Lawlor had been with a teenage prostitute when he was killed were totally false and grossly unfair to Ms Kushnir and her family.
A settlement had already been reached with the Irish Sunday Mirror.
The newspapers said they were happy to confirm that Ms Kushnir was a very respectable woman and never had any involvement whatsoever with prostitution.
They accepted the articles should never have been published.
Substanial damages have been paid to Ms Kushnir, The settlements with Independent newspapers and the Sunday Tribune are subject to a confidentiality clause but she is believed to have received at least €500,000 and her costs.
Ms Kushnir cried as the apologies were read out. Afterwards, her solicitor said she was 'very happy'.
Liam Lawlor died in a car accident in Moscow in October 2005.
False claims
The court was told that on 23 October 2005, the Sunday World published an article under the title 'Lawlor smash girl is a hooker'.
For the Sunday World, John Gordon SC said the article stated that the woman in Liam Lawlor's car at the time of the fatal crash was likely to be a prostitute.
He accepted that in fact, she was Julia Kushnir, an interpreter based in Prague.
Mr Gordon said the paper accepted the article was totally false.
For Independent Newspapers, Eoin McCullough SC read an apology in similar terms. He said the Sunday Independent ran articles under the headings 'Lawlor killed in red light district with teenage girl', and 'Woman travelling in Liam Lawlor's car was likely to be a prostitute'.
Again, he said these articles were totally false.
Ms Kushnir was due to begin her libel action against the Sunday World newspaper today. Her actions against the Sunday Independent and Sunday Mirror were to take place tomorrow.
Proceedings against the Sunday Tribune were due to start on Thursday and her action against the Irish Independent had been due to start on Friday.
