Rachelle Louise accuses judge who sentenced Simon Gittany as having ‘men issues’ in a tendered email
SIMON Gittany’s ex-girlfriend has settled her defamation case out of court after a dramatic trial.
BALCONY killer Simon Gittany’s ex-girlfriend has settled her defamation case, after claiming she was painted her as a stripper and prostitute in media coverage.
Rachelle Louise launched legal action against Nationwide News claiming The Daily Telegraph defamed her in a series of articles written after Gittany was found guilty in November 2013 of murdering his fiancee Lisa Harnum.
But after three and a half days in a civil trial in which the 25-year-old law student gave evidence, Ms Louise settled her matter outside court.
Ms Louise claimed the articles implied she was ridiculous and deranged for believing Gittany, and that she was a stripper.
Her barrister Clive Evatt said both parties were satisfied with the result. Each party will pay their own costs.
During the trial, Ms Louise accused the judge who sentenced him of having “men issues” because she was divorced, the NSW Supreme Court heard today.
Rachelle Louise also described the woman he killed, Canadian ballerina Harnum, as controlling and untruthful.
Gittany was sentenced to 26 years jail for murdering Ms Harnum. He is appealing his conviction and sentence.
The accusations come as the court was also shown CCTV footage of the 25--year-old being thrown out of Star Casino three years ago.
Ms Louise is suing The Daily Telegraph for defamation over a series of articles it published in 2013 and 2014.
She claims the articles falsely imply she was ridiculous and deluded for her support of Gittany, and that she was a stripper and someone who spoke ill of the dead.
The Daily Telegraph is defending the action.
The Daily Telegraph reported that during the hearing on Thursday, the court was shown an email the 25-year-old sent to the Seven Network in which she accused the judge presiding over Gittany’s case as having “men issues”.
She wrote: “Just found out the judge is divorced. Told you. They ALL have men issues.”
The email was written during her negotiations with the broadcaster before Gittany was sentenced for throwing Ms Harnum from the balcony of their Sydney apartment.
Today, Ms Louise repeatedly said she disagreed with NSW Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum’s verdict.
The court was shown notes Ms Louise sent to Seven Network producer Nick Farrow ahead of her paid interview for the Sunday Night program which allegedly included information about Ms Harnum.
When asked by The Daily Telegraph’s lawyer, Matthew Collins QC, if she thought what she wrote were “disgraceful things to say”, Ms Louise replied; “No”.
She then said Ms Harnum suffered from a mental illness because it was “not normal to vomit your food”.
The court was also shown footage from Star Casino which shows Ms Louise being escorted from the venue following an incident with staff during the early hours of March 16, 2012.
The Daily Telegraph reports Ms Louise has no memory of the incident in which she allegedly slapped a security guard and a friend allegedly spat in a security guard’s face.
During the hearing today, Ms Louise told the court she remembered “standing up” for herself when the security guards were “calling us names”.
She also claimed she slapped the security guard in retaliation after he “touched” her first.
Gittany was found guilty of murdering his fiancee, Ms Harnum, in November 2013. He was then sentenced to 26 years. He has launched an appeal against his conviction and sentence.
Recently it emerged Ms Louise was not longer in a relationship with Gittany, however she says she still supports him and continues to work on his case.
The trial continues.