‘Gladiator’ awarded $.7M

Welch was yesterday successful in a defamation claim against talk show hosts Devon Welch, Andy “Pitbull” Williams and Juliet Davy, whom he claimed defamed him back in 2010, by labelling him as gay and being guilty of extortion during radio programmes they hosted called The War Room and The Ground Report.

Justice Mira Dean-Armorer presided over Welch’s lawsuit in the Port-of- Spain High Court, where he claimed he was defamed and entitled to damages because of the actions of the three. In her ruling, the judge acknowledged that TT society has not yet evolved to be indifferent or acceptant of alternative sexual orientations.

She said a person’s sexual orientation cannot be of public interest as she dismissed the fair comment defence of the three radio hosts. The judge also dismissed their other defences and held that it was unclear why they were malignant in their programmes.

She also said the words used by the defendants about Welch, were meant to invoke scorn and had the effect of weakening his reputation.

Welch also sued for, among other things, the cost of his car as well as a $16,377 medical bill, as he said the defamatory remarks affected his health.

While he was not successful in his claim for the cost of the car, his medical bills or his loss of friends and acquaintances, Justice Dean-Armorer ordered that Devon Welch, Williams and Davy pay $700,000 in damages and aggravated damages.

The judge also dismissed a similar claim for damages against More FM 104.7, owned by businessman Robert Amar, which was the radio station which aired the programmes. Welch, who objected to a seven-day stay being granted to the three, demanded immediate payment or possibly a down payment by early next week.

As he represented himself in court, Welch said he spent $200,000 on the lawsuit which included buying law books to familiarise himself with the law.

The seven-day stay was eventually granted by the judge who acknowledged that the compensation ordered by the court was a sizeable amount and the three defendants would require some time to consider an appeal.

As he was leaving the courtroom, Welch said it did not matter to him how the three chose to split the $700,000 which they are to pay to him. “They gave their mouth liberty so they have to pay.

Let them pay,” he said.