Gantley and the Irish News of the World

The Press Ombudsman has decided that there is insufficient evidence to make a decision on a complaint by Mr James Gantley that an article published in the Irish News of the World on 21 November that described him as a drug trafficker was in breach of Principle 1 (Truth and Accuracy) of the Code of Practice.

The complainant denied that he had ever trafficked drugs and said that he had never been convicted of any drugs offence in support of his complaint. The newspaper said that the assertion was true because it was based on its confidential sources. In the absence of any conclusive corroborative evidence to support either the denial or the assertion, no decision can be made on this part of the complaint.

A number of other complaints were not upheld. Mr Gantley also complained under Principle 1.2 of the Code of Practice about the publication of his picture alongside a picture of another named individual. As the complainant did not provide any conclusive evidence that the photograph or caption was significantly inaccurate, misleading or distorted, this complaint is not upheld.

He also complained that the article breached Principle 8 of the Code. There was no evidence that the material published stirred up hatred against Mr Gantley on the basis of any of the criteria outlined in Principle 8 of the Code, and this part of the complaint is therefore also not upheld.

14 February 2011

Mr Gantley appealed the decision of the Press Ombudsman to the Press Council of Ireland.