Music manager Louis Walsh has sought access to documents to support his claim that The Irish Sun newspaper offered to pay a man to make what turned out to be a false accusation of sexual assault against him.
Counsel for Mr Walsh claim that the documents will show The Irish Sun paid €700 to Leonard Watters and accompanied him to a garda station where he made his false complaint against Mr Walsh.
Watters, who is from Navan, Co Meath, was sentenced to six months imprisonment after pleading guilty to making two false reports to gardaí that Mr Walsh sexually assaulted him in Dublin nightclub last April.
Mr Walsh is suing Newsgroup Newspapers, publishers of The Irish Sun, for defamation over an article published last June.
The publisher accepts the accusation was false, but denies defamation and says it acted fairly and reasonably.
In his action, Mr Walsh alleges that on 15 June 2011 Mr Watters met with Sun journalist Joanne McElgunn in Navan.
In his statement of claim, Mr Walsh alleges the journalist offered to pay Mr Watters a sum of money if he agreed to make a complaint to the gardaí "about being assaulted" in the nightclub toilet.
It is claimed that on same day, the journalist allegedly accompanied Mr Watters to Pearse Street Garda Station so the complaint could be made.
Five days later, it is also alleged that Watters met Ms McElgunn and was "encouraged by her, on behalf of the defendant, to repeat the false statements to her" for publication in The Irish Sun.
Mr Walsh claims he is aware Ms McElgunn, on behalf of the paper, paid Watters €700 and promised further payments after the story was printed.
Senior Counsel for Mr Walsh said The Irish Sun directed the operation to take out Louis Walsh as a public person.
Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill reserved judgment on an application by Mr Walsh's lawyers for (disclosure) of documents in the possession of The Irish Sun.
In a sworn document, Deputy Editor of The Irish Sun Paul Clarkson said Watters was not named in the original story, and also said the documents in question may tend to identify other people in relation to other articles.
Senior Counsel for the newspaper said it was essential for press freedom that people can come forward to journalists with information which they know will be treated in confidence.
In a statement released tonight, The Irish Sun said that it entirely denied allegations that its reporter, or any member of its staff, encouraged or enticed any person to make false allegations to the gardaí or anyone else about Mr Walsh.
