Ryan Giggs named as sex cheat soccer star by MP
RYAN Giggs’s desperate bid to keep his name out of the papers over an alleged secret affair with Imogen Thomas was doomed from the moment he threatened to sue Twitter users for outing him.
The married dad-of-two sparked a furious backlash with tweeters bombarding the social networking site in their thousands to name him.
And his farcical attempts at hiding behind a court gagging order finally came to an end yesterday when Lib Dem MP John Hemming told the Commons the former Wales international was the footballer who had the alleged six-month fling with 28-year-old Big Brother star Imogen.
It was already known in pubs, clubs and football grounds across the land that Giggs was the player at the centre of the sordid claims, thanks to sites such as Twitter.
Newspapers and TV stations were still banned by the High Court from naming the 37-year-old Manchester United veteran.
Last night even David Cameron waded into the row, claiming it was “unfair” that newspapers could not report something that was common knowledge on social websites.
Mr Hemming used Parliamentary privilege to sensationally out Giggs. Explaining his decision, he said later: “When he sued Twitter and showed he was going to go after ordinary people and try to prosecute them for gossiping about him on a matter of trivia, I think he has to be held to account for that. I really don’t think we should allow a situation where people are prosecuted and potentially jailed for two years and it all happens in secret.“Is it really good to have a society in which rich people use their money to persecute people of relatively ordinary means, and nobody is willing to say anything about it?”
Imogen broke her silence at 11.30pm yesterday when she posted on Twitter: “The craziest day of my life. Emotionally exhausted!!”
The married dad-of-two sparked a furious backlash with tweeters bombarding the social networking site in their thousands to name him.
And his farcical attempts at hiding behind a court gagging order finally came to an end yesterday when Lib Dem MP John Hemming told the Commons the former Wales international was the footballer who had the alleged six-month fling with 28-year-old Big Brother star Imogen.
It was already known in pubs, clubs and football grounds across the land that Giggs was the player at the centre of the sordid claims, thanks to sites such as Twitter.
Newspapers and TV stations were still banned by the High Court from naming the 37-year-old Manchester United veteran.
But Mr Hemming blew apart Britain’s worst-kept secret when he told MPs: “With about 75,000 people having named Ryan Giggs on Twitter it’s obviously impracticable to imprison them all.” The MP was cut short by Speaker John Bercow. But he said the comments could be reported in the press, despite a High Court judge yesterday yet again refusing to lift Giggs’s gagging order.
And the statement marked a resounding victory for the press, politicians and internet users in their campaign for free speech.Last night even David Cameron waded into the row, claiming it was “unfair” that newspapers could not report something that was common knowledge on social websites.
Mr Hemming used Parliamentary privilege to sensationally out Giggs. Explaining his decision, he said later: “When he sued Twitter and showed he was going to go after ordinary people and try to prosecute them for gossiping about him on a matter of trivia, I think he has to be held to account for that. I really don’t think we should allow a situation where people are prosecuted and potentially jailed for two years and it all happens in secret.Imogen broke her silence at 11.30pm yesterday when she posted on Twitter: “The craziest day of my life. Emotionally exhausted!!”
It is claimed Giggs, who is due to play for Premier League winners United in the Champions League final against Barcelona on Saturday, romped with Imogen at hotels behind his wife Stacey’s back.Imogen’s publicist Max Clifford said she has been “publicly humiliated and embarrassed” and never wanted to “sell her story”.
He added: “She is extremely upset about the whole thing. The irony is that he took out this injunction to protect his private life and supposedly to protect his family.
“Imogen was named and shamed even though she had no intention of talking to anybody.
“The damage this has done to him and his family is far, far worse [than it could have been].”
Influential chairman of the Culture, Media and Sports Committee John Whittingdale said: “You would have to be living in an igloo not to know the identity of at least one Premier League footballer who has obtained an injunction. The actions of thousands of people posting details on Twitter are in danger of making the law look an ass.”
But Attorney-General Dominic Grieve warned that Twitter users breaching court orders could still face jail. He added: “Those who may take an idea that modern methods of communication mean they can act with impunity may well find themselves in for a rude shock.”
Legal experts say Giggs could have spent £200,000 in legal fees trying to keep the alleged fling secret. Mr Cameron told how he was aware who was at the centre of the claims. The PM added: “It is unsustainable, this situation, where newspapers can’t print something that clearly everybody else is talking about, but there’s a difficulty here because the law is the law and judges must interpret what the law is.
“What I’ve said in the past is, the danger is judgments are effectively writing a new law which is what Parliament is meant to do.”
Labour leader Ed Miliband said: “Parliament needs to look at this issue.” Solicitor James Quartermaine, of law firm Charles Russell, said: “The decision of John Hemming to name the footballer appears to have applied the silver bullet to an injunction that was dying in the face of mass civil disobedience online.”
Before Mr Hemming named Giggs, Mr Justice Eady rejected an application to lift the ban. He heard it was “futile” to keep the name secret when it had been on the net and in Scotland’s Sunday Herald which is exempt from English laws. But the judge disagreed.
He added: “She is extremely upset about the whole thing. The irony is that he took out this injunction to protect his private life and supposedly to protect his family.
“Imogen was named and shamed even though she had no intention of talking to anybody.
“The damage this has done to him and his family is far, far worse [than it could have been].”
Influential chairman of the Culture, Media and Sports Committee John Whittingdale said: “You would have to be living in an igloo not to know the identity of at least one Premier League footballer who has obtained an injunction. The actions of thousands of people posting details on Twitter are in danger of making the law look an ass.”
But Attorney-General Dominic Grieve warned that Twitter users breaching court orders could still face jail. He added: “Those who may take an idea that modern methods of communication mean they can act with impunity may well find themselves in for a rude shock.”
Legal experts say Giggs could have spent £200,000 in legal fees trying to keep the alleged fling secret. Mr Cameron told how he was aware who was at the centre of the claims. The PM added: “It is unsustainable, this situation, where newspapers can’t print something that clearly everybody else is talking about, but there’s a difficulty here because the law is the law and judges must interpret what the law is.
“What I’ve said in the past is, the danger is judgments are effectively writing a new law which is what Parliament is meant to do.”
Labour leader Ed Miliband said: “Parliament needs to look at this issue.” Solicitor James Quartermaine, of law firm Charles Russell, said: “The decision of John Hemming to name the footballer appears to have applied the silver bullet to an injunction that was dying in the face of mass civil disobedience online.”
Before Mr Hemming named Giggs, Mr Justice Eady rejected an application to lift the ban. He heard it was “futile” to keep the name secret when it had been on the net and in Scotland’s Sunday Herald which is exempt from English laws. But the judge disagreed.
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