Boyfriend of Ashling Murphy settles defamation case against BBC over his victim impact statement
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The boyfriend of murder victim Ashling Murphy has welcomed a resolution with the BBC in his defamation case against them - calling it the “end of a long and difficult chapter”.
Ryan Casey, the boyfriend of Ms Murphy, issued High Court defamation proceedings against the BBC over criticism on its political programme ‘The View’ by journalist Kitty Holland of his victim impact statement at the murder trial of Jozef Puska.
However, today both sides reached an agreement, with the BBC stating that while it stands behind its journalism in the episode, it is “happy to clarify that it does not consider Ryan Casey to be a criminal or a racist, or someone guilty of or attempting to incite hatred, or someone seeking to pose as a hero of the far right through his Victim Impact Statement”.
And in a statement released to the Irish Mirror, Mr Casey said he was glad to be at the end of the long process, which he felt left him silenced and censored.
Read more: Ashling Murphy's boyfriend Ryan Casey's victim impact statement: 'I've simply lost everything'
Read more: Ashling Murphy’s mother Kathleen holds up framed photo of daughter after guilty verdict
"Today marks the end of a long and difficult chapter of frustration and censorship. I took this legal action against the BBC not solely out of anger, but out of a need for accountability and dignity for Ashling, for myself, our families, and for all victims who deserve to have their voices heard without such harsh criticism or judgment,” Mr Casey said.
“I welcome the resolution of these legal proceedings and the acknowledgements made by the BBC in their statement in open court today.
“I hope this serves as a reminder to all media organisations of the high level of responsibility that comes with running such public platforms. This was never just about me, it was about truth, fairness, and decency.”
Mr Casey, who was represented in court by Ronan Lupton SC, Gerard Groarke BL and Marianne Deeley solicitor, went on to speak about the support he has received.
“To everyone who has supported me either in person, by post, text messages, phone calls, social media posts and comments over the last three and a half years I can now finally come forward and say from the bottom of my heart thanks to each and every one of you. Don't think for a second I didn't see all your amazing support across all platforms, it was humbling to say the least.
"I'd like to also thank my lawyers, Ronan, Gerard and Marianne for their fantastic guidance, support and professionalism throughout this entire legal proceeding.”
And he stated that he’s now finally free to use his voice again.
“I now move forward, finally free to use my voice again, to honour Ashling and to advocate for the changes we desperately require in this country, for the increased safety measures we so clearly need, and for a society that listens to its people, free of gaslighting, blacklisting or censorship.
“We all have a lot more in common than what separates us,” he added.
“Let's honour Ashling by building a better and safer Ireland, we all know we can do so much better."
In their statement read out in Dublin’s High Court this morning, the BBC said: “In the BBC's 30th of November 2023 episode of its live political programme ‘The View,‘ Ryan Casey's Victim Impact Statement at the sentencing of his late partner's murderer was discussed.
“The BBC stands by the journalism involved in this episode, which debated serious issues of public interest. The BBC is, however, happy to clarify that it does not consider Ryan Casey to be a criminal or a racist, or someone quilty of or attempting to incite hatred, or someone seeking to pose as a hero of the far right through his Victim Impact Statement.
“The BBC acknowledges Mr Casey's personal tragedy. This statement clarifies any unintentional inferences that could have been drawn from the broadcast and has enabled the BBC and Ryan Casey to resolve this matter amicably."
Evil killer Jozef Puska, who pleaded not guilty to murder, was sentenced to life in prison for stabbing Ms Murphy 11 times on January 12, 2022, when she was out for a run along the Grand Canal outside Tullamore.
At the sentencing hearing, Mr Casey made an emotional victim impact statement to the court.
In it, he said directly to Puska: “I don’t care where you end up, or what happens to you after today.
“But you smirked, you smiled, and you showed zero remorse throughout this trial, which sums up who you really are, the epitome of pure evil, but one thing is for sure, you will never ever harm or touch another woman ever again and when your day of reckoning comes, may you be in hell a whole half hour, before God even knows you’re dead.”