Kathy Watt in CourtThis item appeared in the Australian on Saturday. The headline from AAP read "Watt coach 'smug, smiling'"."Australian coach Charlie Walsh gave a 'smug, snarly smile' when he referred to Olympic gold medal cyclist Kathy Watt as a little tart, the Supreme Court in Melbourne was told yesterday. The court is hearing a defamation case lodged by Watt against three TV stations. Watt is suing QIT, TCN and Territory Television for defamation for broadcasting a news report of an address by Walsh to the Adelaide Press Club last August. Watt's lawyer, Mr Will Horton, said Walsh's use of the phrase 'a little tart' implied the cyclist was prepared to be vindictive towards rival Lucy Tyler-Sharman. The court was told that at the press club, referring to remarks he made to Tyler-Sharman, Walsh said 'I didn't say to her - If you don't get out there and bloody well perform, that other little tart is going to hang shit on you' Mr Horton said 'tart' could mean 'slut, trollop, or whore' meaning an immoral woman. He added that when Walsh said Watt would 'hang shit' on Tyler-Sharman, he was implying Watt was vindictive. He said "to call her vindictive, which we say is conveyed by those words, is defamatory and the words are used with a smug, snarly smile." Justice John Hedigan said he would bring down a decision next week. |