Rebekah Vardy trial - live: Vardys leave court ‘over illness’ as Wayne Rooney testifies
Rebekah Vardy and her husband Jamie have left court early because “Mrs Vardy isn’t feeling very well”, her lawyer has said.
The Vardys did not return to the courtroom after a mid-afternoon break. Both sides’ lawyers are currently quizzing expert IT witnesses about how evidence in the trial, particularly Whatsapps between Ms Vardy and her agent, was recovered.
Earlier today, Wayne Rooney said he asked teammate Jamie Vardy to get his wife to “calm down” during Euro 2016 at the request of the England manager.
Mr Rooney said that then-national team boss Roy Hodgson and assistant Gary Neville wanted him to speak to the Leicester striker about the “distracting” media attention Rebekah Vardy was receiving during the tournament.
Giving evidence at the High Court libel trial brought against his wife, Coleen, Mr Rooney said that “[Mr Hodgson and Mr Neville] asked me to, as captain, would I be able to speak to Mr Vardy on issues regarding his wife.”
“So I agreed to speak to Mr Vardy... to ask him to ask his wife to calm down... It was an awkward moment for me to speak to Jamie about his wife but I thought it was necessary having been asked by the England manager,” he added.
Ms Vardy’s legal team dispute that this conversation took place.
Key Points
Wayne Rooney says he asked Jamie Vardy to get Rebekah to ‘calm down’ during Euros 2016
Coleen has ‘become a different mother, a different wife’, Wayne Rooney said
Jamie Vardy holds hands with his wife Rebekah as they arrive at the High Court
Key moments from day five
What happened in the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel case?
Coleen Rooney-Rebekah Vardy timeline: Everything that’s happened in the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel case
05:00 , Stuti Mishra
My colleague Joe Sommerlad has put together this timeline of the case between the two footballers’ wives, from that infamous moment on 19 October 2019 when Coleen Rooney took to Twitter to issue an astonishing attack on Rebekah Vardy, accusing her of betraying her confidence in pursuit of personal gain.
What happened in the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel case?
ICYMI: Coleen has become ‘a different mother, a different wife’ because of trial, Wayne Rooney says
04:00 , Chiara Giordano
Wayne Rooney has said his wife Coleen has “become a different mother, a different wife” because of the stress of the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel trial.
Speaking from the witness stand at the High Court on Tuesday, the former England captain and Derby County manager said he and his wife “don’t want to be in this court”.
Holly Bancroft has the full story:
Coleen is ‘a different mother, a different wife’ because of trial, Wayne Rooney says
ICYMI: Wayne Rooney says he asked Jamie Vardy to ‘calm down’ wife at Euro 2016 at request of England manager
02:00 , Chiara Giordano
On the sixth day of the trial, Wayne Rooney told the High Court he asked Jamie Vardy to "calm down" his wife at the request of England manager Roy Hodgson during the Euros in 2016.
Mr Rooney said he was asked to intervene over the media attention Ms Vardy had been receiving during the tournament.
Matt Mathers has the full story:
Ex-England manager ‘told Jamie Vardy told to calm down’ wife at Euro 2016
ICYMI: Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney: a breakdown of their courthouse style
Wednesday 18 May 2022 00:01 , Chiara Giordano
As the trial continues at the Royal Courts of Justice, Saman Javed has taken a closer look at the footballers’ wives courthouse style.
Both women have stuck to a muted colour palette so far, opting for either black, white or dark blue hues.
It is suggested Rooney and Vardy are likely using their clothing to communicate the seriousness and importance of the trial.
Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney: A breakdown of their courthouse style
Day six highlights
Tuesday 17 May 2022 22:00 , Chiara Giordano
Holly Bancroft, who has been at the High Court in London for The Independent, has pulled together the key highlights to come from day six of the explosive trial:
Day six ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial highlights as Wayne Rooney testifies
No hearing tomorrow
Tuesday 17 May 2022 20:22 , Chiara Giordano
There will be no hearing taking place at the High Court on Wednesday.
It is now expected both Hugh Tomlinson QC, for Rebekah Vardy, and David Sherborne, for Coleen Rooney, will give their closing speeches on Thursday.
Mrs Justice Steyn is expected to give her decision in writing at a later date.
Highlights from day six
Tuesday 17 May 2022 18:17 , Holly Bancroft
All the evidence has now been heard in the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial at the High Court. Here are the highlights from day six:
- Wayne Rooney told the High Court that he had an “awkward” conversation with Jamie Vardy to get his wife to “calm down” her media activities during Euro 2016 at the request of the England manager.
- Mr Rooney said that Coleen has “become a different mother, a different wife” because of the stress of the libel trial.
- England’s top goalscorer said that he “didn’t want to get involved” with his wife’s social media sting, saying she is “an independent woman who does her own thing.”
- Coleen Rooney’s fake Instagram stories, which she used to run her sting operation, were revealed at the High Court.
- Wayne Rooney’s cousin Claire said she was referred to as “chavvy” in a WhatsApp message exchange between Rebekah Vardy and her agent.
- Splash news photographer said Ms Vardy knew all about leaks to the press, PR exec testified.
- Rebekah Vardy and her husband Jamie left her High Court libel trial early on Tuesday. One of Ms Vardy’s legal team told the court that they left early because “Mrs Vardy isn’t feeling very well”.
- Defence witness Mr Matthew Blackband queried Ms Vardy’s account that her computer crashed when she tried to upload her Whatsapp chats with her agent and that’s why she lost key messages. “Based on the information that has been provided I would suggest that this is a manual deletion,” he said.
ICYMI: Coleen Rooney has become ‘a different mother, a different wife’ because of trial
Tuesday 17 May 2022 17:46 , Tom Batchelor
Wayne Rooney has said that his wife Coleen has “become a different mother, a different wife” because of the stress of the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel trial.
Speaking from the witness stand at the High Court on Tuesday, the former England captain and Derby County manager said they he and his wife “don’t want to be in this court”.
Here is the story:
Coleen is ‘a different mother, a different wife’ because of trial, Wayne Rooney says
Court rises
Tuesday 17 May 2022 16:58 , Holly Bancroft
The court has risen for the day. That concludes all the evidence in Rebekah Vardy’s libel trail against Coleen Rooney.
The trial will return on Thursday morning to hear closing arguments.
Voices: True to form, at the Wagatha Christie trial Wayne Rooney may have just decided the game
Tuesday 17 May 2022 16:51 , Holly Bancroft
Political sketch writer Tom Peck has delivered his verdict on day six of the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial. He writes:
“The witness box of Court 13 is far from the only box into which Wayne Rooney has made a well-timed late arrival, and the results were typically devastating.
Manchester United and England’s record goal scorer was the penultimate witness in his wife’s defence, and though we can’t know yet, it’s quite possible he’s decided the game.
At the latter stages of their careers, once-rampaging attackers like Rooney have to learn to play a little bit smarter. Their all action days are over. They can’t always track back. Instead they must conserve their energy, they must wait for the moment and then, wallop! They pounce.
Which is exactly what Wayne Rooney did.”
Read the full piece here:
True to form, Wayne Rooney may have just decided the game
‘I would suggest that this is a manual deletion’, expert on Ms Vardy’s messages
Tuesday 17 May 2022 16:27 , Holly Bancroft
Defence witness Mr Matthew Blackband has queried Ms Vardy’s account that her computer crashed when she tried to upload her Whatsapp chats with her agent and that’s why she lost key messages.
“I’m putting to you that that’s possible,” Ms Vardy lawyer said.
“I cannot see how that is possible,” Mr Blackband replied.
“Based on the information that has been provided I would suggest that this is a manual deletion,” he said.
Referring to the alleged computer crash, Mr Blackband told the court: “I cannot see how that would be an explanation as the download the data has already occurred, a zip file has been formed.”
“I’ve not been able to identify a process that would cause that to happen.
“There would have to be a corruption of the database, which would mean that Whatsapp would not work,” he continued.
Pictured: The Vardys leave court early
Tuesday 17 May 2022 15:55 , Holly Bancroft
Rebekah Vardy and her husband Jamie have left her High Court libel trial early. Ms Vardy’s lawyer told the court that Ms Vardy wasn’t “feeling very well”.
Tuesday 17 May 2022 15:39 , Holly Bancroft
An expert instructed by Rebekah Vardy found it “surprising” that there was an “absence” of WhatsApp messages between her and agent Caroline Watt after Ms Vardy tried to export messages from her device to her solicitors, the High Court was told.
Ian Henderson was asked a series of questions in court by Coleen Rooney’s barrister David Sherborne about Ms Vardy’s data, which the lawyer suggested had been “deleted” or “lost”.
Mr Sherborne put it to the expert that he described the “absence of this data being caused by the uploading process” as “somewhat surprising”, with Mr Henderson agreeing that he remembered saying that.
“Clearly by surprised you’re saying that that is not what you would expect to have happened?” Mr Sherborne added.
“That is correct,” Mr Henderson replied.
The Vardys leave early because ‘Mrs Vardy isn’t feeling very well'
Tuesday 17 May 2022 15:29 , Holly Bancroft
One of Ms Vardy’s legal team has told the court that Rebekah Vardy and her husband Jamie have left early because “Mrs Vardy isn’t feeling very well”.
Tuesday 17 May 2022 15:23 , Holly Bancroft
Expert witness Ian Henderson is now giving evidence for Rebekah Vardy.
Ms Rooney’s lawyer David Sherborne asked Mr Henderson whether it was likely that Ms Vardy’s account had been “compromised” for a period of time.
Mr Henderson said: “I’m aware that at least one other person had access to Ms Vardy’s account”, but said that he could not conclude that Ms Vardy’s account was compromised.
Recap: Coleen has become ‘a different mother, a different wife’ because of trial, Wayne Rooney says
Tuesday 17 May 2022 14:55 , Holly Bancroft
Wayne Rooney has said that his wife Coleen has “become a different mother, a different wife” because of the stress of the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel trial.
Speaking from the witness stand at the High Court on Tuesday, the former England captain and Derby County manager said they he and his wife “don’t want to be in this court”.
“I’ve watched my wife over the last two and a half years really struggle with everything ... becoming a different mother, a different wife,” he said.
“It’s been been very traumatic for my wife.”
Read the full story here:
Coleen is ‘a different mother, a different wife’ because of trial, Wayne Rooney says
Tuesday 17 May 2022 14:44 , Holly Bancroft
Ms Adaarewa has said she recalled Splash news photographer saying that Ms Vardy knew that her Instagram account was being used to leak stories to the press.
In her written statement, Ms Adaarewa said: “I specially recall Danny saying that Mrs Vardy was not only aware that Danny has a means of access to her account but also that she was well aware that access had been and was being used to take content and pass it to the press.”
She continued: “This much was abundantly clear to me from listening to the exchange, though there was no express discussion of Mrs Vardy personally benefitting from a financial perspective and it would therefore be speculative for me to suggest so.”
Splash news photographer said Ms Vardy knew all about leaks to the press, PR exec says
Tuesday 17 May 2022 14:25 , Holly Bancroft
Penelope Adaarewa, a PR executive, is being asked about a meeting she attended with a photographer called Danny Hayward, director of Splash News, and a mystery Mr Y - a figure in the media industry.
During the meeting Ms Adaarewa overheard a phone call, which was on speaker phone, between Mr Y and Mr Hayward. She was included in the phone call, and was introduced to Mr Hayward by Mr Y, but said that the pair started having what seemed to her was a private conversation in front of her.
In her written witness statement, Ms Adaarewa said: “I specifically recall Danny saying that others knew he had a means of access to the account and it seemed clear to me that included Becky Vardy. In his discussion with Y about the fallout from Mrs Rooney’s recent revelations.
“I recall he used the words to the effect of “But she is sticking to her story that she knew nothing about it” which he said clearly believing that Mrs Vardy did in fact know all about the passing on of information from her Instagram account and that her denial was disingenuous.”
The defence calls their last witness, Penelope Adaarewa
Tuesday 17 May 2022 14:05 , Holly Bancroft
Penelope Adaarewa, a PR executive, is being asked about a meeting she attended after the “media storm” that resulted from Coleen Rooney’s ‘Wagatha Christie’ post.
Tuesday 17 May 2022 14:03 , Holly Bancroft
The Rooneys and the Vardys are now seated in court after the lunch break. Rebekah Vardy was resting her head on her husband Jamie’s shoulder, and Coleen and Wayne Rooney were consulting something on Coleen’s phone.
Court artist sketch of Wayne Rooney
Tuesday 17 May 2022 13:58 , Holly Bancroft
Earlier today, Wayne Rooney took to the witness stand in Rebekah Vardy’s libel trial against his wife Coleen.
Dressed in a blue suit, Mr Rooney told the court how the period after his wife’s “reveal” post had been “very traumatic” for her and that he had watched her “really struggle”.
“For me and my wife, we don’t want to be in this court,” Mr Rooney said.
“I’ve watched my wife over the last two and a half years really struggle with everything ... becoming a different mother, a different wife.
“It’s been been very traumatic for my wife.”
‘Seen by one’: Instagram stories that show Coleen Rooney’s sting operation
Tuesday 17 May 2022 13:36 , Holly Bancroft
Coleen Rooney’s fake Instagram stories, which she used to run her sting operation, have been revealed at the High Court.
In two of the images, only one account is shown to have seen the stories - Rebekah Vardy’s account. The first two images are fake stories Ms Rooney posted as a trap for the person she believed was leaking her private information to The Sun.
The last Honda post is a story that was leaked to the tabloid paper. It was a true event but Ms Rooney’s team allege that the way the story about it appeared in The Sun was incorrect. The Sun reported that Coleen Rooney had been in a car crash when she had in fact just scraped the side of the vehicle.
Recap: Rooney ‘didn’t want to get involved’ in wife’s leak investigation
Tuesday 17 May 2022 13:14 , Holly Bancroft
Asked if it was a matter of concern that his wife was claiming stories were being leaked about her and their family, Wayne Rooney replied: “It’s always a matter of concern when it involves your family. There’s information that my wife said had been leaked.”
He added that other stories were inaccurate.
“It was something that me and my wife have had to deal with since we were 16.
“I have learned how to deal with that and not let it have much impact on my way of thinking.”
Mr Rooney was later asked why he had not brought his wife’s concerns up with Jamie Vardy.
He replied: “Jamie was a team-mate for the national team, he’s not someone I have ever particularly been friends with on a social level.”
In his witness statement, Mr Rooney said he “didn’t want to get involved” when his wife became “frustrated” at alleged leaks of her information to The Sun.
Asked what he meant by that in court, Mr Rooney replied: “I’m not big on social media and I didn’t want to get involved.
“My wife is an independent woman who does her own thing and I didn’t want to get involved in what the situation was.”
Mr Rooney said that social media was the “least” of his worries amid helping his wife with their four children.
“She made me aware of it and that was the last time I actually spoke about it,” Mr Rooney said.
Recap: Wayne Rooney allegedly asked Jamie Vardy to ‘calm down’ wife at Euro 2016 at request of England manager
Tuesday 17 May 2022 12:56 , Holly Bancroft
Wayne Rooney asked Jamie Vardy to “calm down” his wife Rebekah at the request of England manager Roy Hodgson during the Euros in 2016, the high court has heard.
The former England international and Derby County manager is giving evidence on day six of his wife’s libel trial against Ms Vardy.
Ms Vardy, 39, is suing Ms Rooney, 35, for defamation after Ms Rooney publicly accused the latter of being the source of stories about her that were leaked to The Sun newspaper.
Mr Rooney said he was asked to intervene over the media attention Ms Vardy had been receiving during the tournament.
Read the full story here:
Ex-England manager told Jamie Vardy told to ‘calm down’ wife at Euro 2016
Court breaks for lunch
Tuesday 17 May 2022 12:51 , Holly Bancroft
The court has risen for lunch and will resume at 2pm.
Tuesday 17 May 2022 12:45 , Holly Bancroft
Mr Rooney told the court that he recalled that Mrs Vardy was “almost there with the team” during “down time” at the 2016 Euros, with her allegedly being on FaceTime with her husband throughout the tournament.
He said he “100%” spoke to Mr Vardy but did not know if Mr Vardy then spoke to his wife.
“It wasn’t my place to speak to Mrs Vardy,” Mr Rooney said.
Under questioning from Mr Tomlinson, Mr Rooney said he did not remember him and Mr Vardy speaking to a Sun journalist.
“As England captain I would always try and protect the players in public as much as I could,” Mr Rooney said.
He later added: “Everyone knows the history between Liverpudlians and The Sun newspaper, I never spoken to a Sun journalist on a personal level.”
Coleen has ‘become a different mother, a different wife’, Wayne Rooney said
Tuesday 17 May 2022 12:23 , Holly Bancroft
Mr Rooney said he remembered his alleged discussion with Mr Vardy about his wife clearly because “it was such an awkward moment.”
“We were sat in the games room,” he said. “I remember details from the conversation with Mr Vardy because it was such an awkward moment,” he added.
Speaking about the trial: “I don’t think anyone wants to be in court, certainly me and my wife don’t want to be in this court.”
“I’ve watched my wife over the last two, two and half years, really struggle with everything that’s gone on.”
Mr Rooney described Coleen ‘s ordeal, saying she’s “become a different mother, a different wife.”
“It’s been very traumatic,” he added.
He said that whatever the judgement he hoped that “myself, my wife, and our children can go on and live our lives because it’s not something we have wanted to be a part of.”
‘My wife is an independent woman’, says Mr Rooney
Tuesday 17 May 2022 12:19 , Holly Bancroft
Wayne Rooney has told the court that his wife is “an independent woman, who does her own thing, and I didn’t want to get involved at all.”
He said that in 2017 Ms Rooney spoke to him about leaks of her private information to The Sun. He didn’t know anything else about it until 2019, he told the court.
“In 2019 again she said there was more stories or posts getting released to the Sun newspaper and she believed it was Rebekah Vardy,” he said.
Asked by Mr Tomlinson whether he was surprised that his wife thought Ms Vardy was the source of the leaks, Mr Rooney said: “To that, not much, was I surprised? no.”
“Again I didnt want to get involved in it. I had my own work at the time I was still playing football and Coleen works independently herself and it’s not something we discussed again.”
Mr Rooney said that he was in America when his wife put up her infamous ‘Wagatha Christie’ post and he had no prior knowledge of it.
Mr Rooney said that the trial has been hard to sit through. “It’s been a long week it’s the first time I’ve heard everything on this case,. I’ve never discussed it with my wife.”
He condemned the online abuse against Ms Vardy as “disgusting”, adding: “It’s not right”.
“I’m here to support my wife,” Mr Rooney said. “This week here is the first time really that I have any understanding of how it’s all happened.”
Wayne Rooney says he asked Jamie Vardy to get Rebekah to ‘calm down’ during Euros 2016
Tuesday 17 May 2022 12:00 , Holly Bancroft
Wayne Rooney has said he was told by England’s manager to speak to Jamie Vardy during the Euros 2016 about his wife’s media attention.
Mr Rooney said that “the england manager, Roy Hogson and his assistant manager Gary Neville...they asked me to, as captain, would I be able to speak to Mr Vardy on issues regarding his wife.”
Mr Rooney added: “I think we all knew that it was an awkward subject.”
“So I agreed to speak to Mr Vardy... to ask him to ask his wife to calm down,” Mr Rooney said.
“It was an awkward moment for me to speak to Jamie about his wife but I thought it was necessary having been asked by the england manager,” he added.
He clarified: “I was asked to speak to my team mate Jamie Vardy about the fact that Becky’s media activities were causing problems and distractions”.
“I was asked to speak to Mr Vardy by the England manager and the assistant manager and I carried out that instruction...I felt in the best interests of the rest of the team, and having been asked by the manager of the england team, I carried out that instruction,” Mr Rooney said.
When challenged by Ms Vardy’s lawyer that the conversation didn’t happen, Mr Rooney said: “I’m sat here under oath, I 100 percent spoke to Mr Vardy about this situation.”
The defence calls Wayne Rooney
Tuesday 17 May 2022 11:45 , Holly Bancroft
Court is taking a short break - and then Wayne Rooney will be in the witness box
Tuesday 17 May 2022 11:33 , Holly Bancroft
