The Sunday Times has this morning won a major libel claim brought by David Charles Hunt over an article ‘Underworld Kings Cash in on Taxpayer Land Fund', published in 2010 an dwritten by Michael Gillard.

The article described how Hunt was to profit from the sale of land to the London Development Agency in the run up to the London 2012 Games. The three-year libel battle resulted in victory for the newspaper when Mr Justice Simon partially upheld its defence of truth, and fully upheld its defence of responsible journalism.  He found that Hunt is the head of an organised crime network implicated in extreme violence and fraud; was responsible for a violent assault, and had perverted the course of justice by witness intimidation.

The Judge also ruled that if someone has escaped justice and if criminals were being paid from public funds it was a matter of public interest, describing the article as a serious piece of investigative journalism with no embellishment of the facts.

Martin Ivens, Acting Editor of The Sunday Times, said: "The Sunday Times welcomes the judgment of Mr Justice Simon. This expensive and risky libel battle against a notorious crime figure in East London was made possible by the courage of investigative journalist Michael Gillard and several witnesses. Hunt has been brought to justice by a libel action where the authorities have failed for more than two decades. The judgment highlights the role of journalism for the public good."

Gavin Millar QC and Antony Hudson of Doughty Street Chambers, and Louis Charalambous of Simons Muirhead and Burton acted for Times Newspapers Limited, instructed by TNL legal department.

Please find a link to the above judgment handed down by Mr Justice Simon this morning:http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/Resources/JCO/Documents/Judgments/david-hunt-v-times-newspapers-ltd.pdf