Garda libel claim over Hayes book was settled for £100,000

THREE detectives involved in the original investigation into the Kerry Babies case each received more than 17,500 punts in damages and costs following the publication of Joanne Hayes’s book ‘My Story’.

In total, the publishers of ‘My Story’ paid more than £100,000 (€127,000) in damages and costs. A defamation action was taken against Ms Hayes, the co-author of her book John Barrett, its publishers Brandon Books Publishers Ltd, and the books’ distributors, following its publication in October 1985.

An unreserved apology was also issued to the three gardaí – Inspector PJ Browne, Detective Sergeant Gerry O’Carroll and Detective Garda John Harrington.

Copies of ‘My Story’ that hadn’t been sold had to be pulped after the action.

The publishers also lost out on a film option.

Ms Hayes had wrongfully been accused and charged with the infant’s killing. She had come to Garda attention because she was known to have been pregnant.

DNA evidence, released this week, conclusively proved that Ms Hayes was not the mother of ‘Baby John’, who had been stabbed to death.

In April 1987, Det Sgts O’Carroll and Browne, and Det Gda Harrington began legal proceedings on foot of Joanne Hayes’s account of events as told in her book ‘My Story’.

In November 1989, an out-of-court settlement was reached with Brandon Books.

The three detectives accepted an apology and £17,500 each.

The apology acknowledged the book contained defamatory words about the gardaí.