Noel Clarke made 'wild allegations' against his sexual misconduct accusers, court told

Noel Clarke has made "wild allegations" against women who have accused him of sexual misconduct but has not explained why they would lie about him, the high court heard yesterday on the first day of his libel claim against the Guardian.

- Haroon Siddique

The 49-year-old actor is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles and a podcast published between April 2021 and March 2022 in which more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct.

In written submissions, Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, said: "[The defendant] will adduce evidence from 16 women who experienced C's [the claimant's] misconduct first-hand, some of them on multiple occasions. There is no motive for them to lie and [the claimant] has not suggested any beyond making wild allegations as to an alleged conspiracy.

"These witnesses have remained willing to give their evidence voluntarily despite the fact that, over the course of litigation, [the claimant] has published a number of statements on social media and elsewhere expressly or impliedly denigrating those who have made allegations against him, no doubt in the hope of deterring women from cooperating with [the defendant].

"[The claimant] went so far as to threaten one of the women, 'Imogen', with a report to the police if she did not agree to meet [the claimant's] solicitors. She did not agree and he carried out his threat."

Millar said the women had chosen to give evidence "at personal cost" as they would have to "recount and relive in public experiences that were personal and private and, at best, deeply unpleasant for them".