Judge throws out Beckham call-girl libel case

A judge in Los Angeles has thrown out David Beckham's $25m libel and slander case against gossip magazine In Touch, which claimed the footballer had paid an East European call-girl for sex.

US district judge Manuel Real said that Beckham's high profile meant that allegations of adultery against him would be of interest to the public and that his lawyers had failed to show that In Touch had acted with malice.

In Touch published a claim by Bosnian prostitute Irma Nici last year that she had been paid $10,000 by Beckham for sex in New York. As part of his libel action, Beckham provided evidence that he could not have been with her on the nights she claimed.

The magazine claims it made every effort to corroborate Nici's story.
Elizabeth McNamara, the lawyer for Bauer, the publishing company behind In Touch, said that Nici's claims were "entirely consistent with Beckham's reputation as a serial philanderer".

A spokesman for Beckham said: "Bauer do not dispute for the purposes of this motion that their story is false. They have not provided one shred of evidence to support the claim this story is true. David Beckham's clear evidence proved that this is without foundation.

"We have already won a court ruling in Germany and are awaiting damages. Unfortunately, the US legal system requires us to show that the magazine acted maliciously. Any knowledgeable person knows this story not to be true, we will continue to fight this in court and the decision will be appealed."

Libel laws in the United States are more favourable to defendants than in England. In the US, a plaintiff has to prove the defendant acted with malice, whereas in England the plaintiff has to show only that their reputation has been diminished in the eyes of their peers. ·