The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Goodwillie has ‘nothing left to give’ after lengthy civil case
COURT: Law firm drops sequestration action against the footballer
Former Scotland striker David Goodwillie, deemed a rapist in a marathon civil action in the Scottish courts, says his lawyers abandoned a bid to have him declared bankrupt because they had finally realised he had “nothing left”.
The Scottish branch of international law firm Kennedys dropped a sequestration action against the exDundee United star at Stirling Sheriff Court by intentionally failing to appear.
Kennedys Scotland represented Goodwillie through a lengthy damages claim which ended in November (2017) when three appeal judges upheld a Court of Session ruling that, on the balance of probabilities, he and former Tangerines team-mate David Robertson had raped young mother Denise Clair after a drunken night out in 2011.
Ms Clair, 31, won £100,000 damages in the civil action, which she launched after the Crown Office ruled out a criminal prosecution.
Stirling-born Goodwillie, 29, who is married to model Kirstie Smith, 26, had been told to appear at Stirling Sheriff Court last Tuesday for the first calling of a petition by Kennedys Scotland for his sequestration.
However, although Goodwillie turned up, Kennedys did not.
Lawyer Catherine Berrill, whose Stirling-based law firm Hill and Robb often act as local agents for Kennedys, said she had phoned them for instructions.
She said: “I was told not to appear – so I’m not appearing.”
Sheriff William Gilchrist told the footballer, who represented himself at the two-minute hearing: “All right Mr Goodwillie, no one’s appearing for Kennedys Scotland – nobody’s appeared for those petitioning for your sequestration so I’ll simply dismiss the petition.”
Outside court Goodwillie said: “I’ve given everything to fight my last civil case and I think they’ve kind of realised that I’ve not got anything else to give.”