Rebekah Vardy – live: Coleen Rooney’s triumphant messages to friends after ‘Wagatha Christie’ reveal post
It comes after Wayne Rooney told court he was asked to speak to Jamie Vardy to ‘calm down’ wife
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Your support makes all the difference.Coleen Rooney posted triumphant messages to her friends after she accused Rebekah Vardy’s account of being behind leaks of her personal information to The Sun, new photos show.
In previously unseen images, Coleen Rooney told her Instagram followers “Don’t play games with a girl who can play better” after she posted her infamous ‘Wagatha Christie’ message on 19 October 2019.
She added: “After years of my personal Instagram posts getting leaked to the SUN newspaper..... I’ve finally cracked it and know exactly who’s account it is !!!!.”
Ms Rooney, 36, is being sued for defamation by Ms Vardy, 40, over the offending post. The images of Coleen Rooney’s Instagram posts were submitted as evidence to the High Court during Ms Vardy’s libel trial.
On the last day of the trial yesterday, Ms Rooney’s lawyer accused Ms Vardy of carrying out a “cover up” to hide “incriminating evidence” ahead of the trial.
Ms Vardy’s lawyer accused Ms Rooney’s side of furthering “conspiracy theories” about the model allegedly deleting key message exchanges between herself and her agent Caroline Watt.
Mr Hugh Tomlinson said the footballer’s wife “accepts” her agent could have been the source of leaks to the press.
Ms Justice Steyn has now retired to consider her judgement in the case.
Wagatha Christie: Top moments in the Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney trial- Wagatha Christie: Cast of characters in the Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney trial
Wagatha Christie timeline: How the Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy row unfolded
Wagatha Christie: The most important evidence in the Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney libel trial
Ms Rooney’s lawyer David Sherborne said his client “was brought here by Mrs Vardy because of the reveal post”.
Referring to Ms Rooney, he continued: “She herself said so much more of it had been made than she expected, both at the time and since, and the trolling of Mrs Vardy was vile.”
Discussing the viral social media post, the barrister added: “It is what she believed at the time... and it is what she believes even more so now that we have got to the end of the case.
“She finds herself at the end of a seven-day libel trial, and for what?”
Ms Rooney’s lawyer begins his closing argument
Ms Rooney’s lawyer David Sherborne is arguing that both sides have admitted that Rebekah Vardy’s agent Caroline Watt leaked information to the press, with use of Ms Vardy’s Instagram account.
“It is an artificial sliver of a case,” Mr Sherborne said. “Simply whether Mrs Vardy knew what Mrs Watt was doing in relation to leaking from her account.”
He set out three areas to consider. “Firstly whether the reveal post is substantially true,” he said. “And whether the reveal... is a matter of public interest.”
The third issue is “what compensation should Mrs Vardy get if any for what is left of her reputation,” Mr Sherborne said.
“We’ve proved, we say, that in fact over the same period Mrs Vardy has regularly and frequently leaked to the Sun information about a number of people she knows,” Mr Sherborne said.
“Mrs Vardy is still responsible for the actions of her agent Caroline Watt,” he added. “As responsible as if she had personally been sent the screenshot or sent that information to Mr Halls, or any others of the Sun journalists.”
The Rooneys miss court today and head off on trip with children
Ms Rooney’s lawyer David Sherborne has told the court that the Rooneys are not present because “they had a long standing travel arrangement with their four children”.
“They’ve asked me to pass on their individual apologies,” he said, explaining that the couple meant no disrespect to the court.
Mr Sherborne said that the Rooneys had already agreed their travel arrangements with their lawyers before the trial was extended by one day.
The lawyer, highlighting that the husband and wife had attended the trial throughout so far, added: “They had a long-standing travel arrangement with their four children which was booked in advance by their lawyers.”
Mr Sherborne said this was done on the understanding that Thursday was not going to be a day the court was sitting.
The judge, Ms Justice Steyn, said: “I don’t take offence”.
Rebekah Vardy arrives in court
Rebekah Vardy has arrived in court for the expected final day of her libel trial against Coleen Rooney. She was wearing a black trouser suit layered over a green top. Ms Vardy opted for a more relaxed look with her hair down and was not wearing sunglasses for the first time in the trial.
Key moments of trial so far
Not long until the final day of the Wagatha Christie trial kicks off now.
Here is a quick recap of the key moments so far:
Key moments of the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel battle – day by day
The trial reaches its final day on Thursday.
The fake stories at the heart of the Wagatha Christie plan
At the very heart of the trial is Coleen Rooney accusing Rebekah Vardy’s account as leaking information from her private Instagram to The Sun.
Her elaborate plan to try and find the source of the leaks is what earned her the nickname “Wagatha Christie”.
And on the penultimate day of the trial, the High Court saw the fake stories posted on Instagram to “trap” Ms Vardy.
Chiara Giordano has the details:
The fake Instagram stories Rooney used to attempt to ‘trap Vardy’
Screenshots of three stories revealed in court documents
‘True to form, Wayne Rooney may have just decided the game'
Wayne Rooney took to the stand the last day the court sat.
“The witness box of Court 13 is far from the only box into which Wayne Rooney has made a well-timed late arrival, and the results were typically devastating,” Tom Peck, our political sketch writer, said.
Read his take on the Derby manager’s evidence:
True to form, Wayne Rooney may have just decided the game
Once-rampaging attackers must conserve their energy, wait for the moment, and then, wallop! They pounce. Which is exactly what Rooney did
What happened last?
Before day seven of the trial gets going, here is a reminder of what happened on day six:
Day six ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial highlights as Wayne Rooney testifies
Coleen has ‘become different mother, different wife’ because of trial, former England footballer says
Wagatha Christie case to draw to a close
The trial is due to draw to a close today.
Lawyers for both Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney are set to make their closing arguments to the High Court.
It is expected to kick back off again at 10.30am. Stay tuned.
Opinion: If Wagatha Christie has taught us anything, it’s to never underestimate the power of the ‘unfollow’
The longer time you spend on social media, the more people you will have annoyed, writes Sunny Hundal.
That’s my theory. Since I can’t expect everyone to agree with everything I say, the equation is simple: more opinions = more haters. And as someone who has been very online and very opinionated for about 20 years, believe me I have accumulated a lot of haters.
Here is his piece:
Opinion: Use social media? Take heed from Wagatha Christie
Oh god, the social media self-doubt really stings and burns
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