Irish Times columnist John Waters has won a High Court libel action against the Sunday Times.

He was awarded damages of €84,000 and costs estimated at €250,000.

Sunday Times gossip columnist Terry Keane had written an article in June 2000 which John Waters claimed showed him to be a bad father.

It was claimed that the words in the article meant Waters was a bad father and his daughter deserved sympathy because of his failings as a parent. But the defence argued the words did not carry that meaning.

The High Court jury took two-and-a-half hours to reach its decision.

Times Newspapers is deciding whether to appeal.

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