Yates wins libel damages

Paula Yates pictured in London on Tuesday

Television presenter Paula Yates has won substantial, undisclosed libel damages over claims she deliberately became pregnant by Michael Hutchence to trap him into a permanent relationship.

Ms Yates' solicitor, Anthony Burton, told Mr Justice Eady she had suffered "serious injury to her reputation and has been caused acute hurt, distress and embarrassment" by the allegations, which were taken from a book about Hutchence and published in the Mail on Sunday last year.

Paula Yates with Tiger at Hutchence's funeral

Mr Burton said it was alleged that Paula Yates "deceitfully and without the knowledge of her partner, Michael Hutchence, deliberately became pregnant by him in order to entrap or ensnare him into a permanent relationship with her whether he liked it or not".

He added that it was also alleged she had "tastelessly" created a false story after Michael Hutchence's death telling how they had both received fertility treatment to conceive their child, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, who was born in July 1996.

Ms Yates had been Hutchence's partner from 1994 until the INXS lead singer's death in November 1997.

The claims were contained in a book by Vince Lovegrove, which was serialised by the Mail on Sunday after it received a warranty from publisher Faber & Faber assuring it the matters contained in it were true.

In turn, Faber & Faber relied on an equivalent warranty from the book's original Australian publisher.

Michael Hutchence was found dead in Sydney in November 1997

Mr Burton said Associated Newspapers Ltd, Faber & Faber and the Australian publishers "have between them agreed to pay substantial damages to the claimaint and her legal costs in settlement of her claims".

Ms Yates' principal concern, he said, was to show that Tiger was a wanted baby.

Associated's solicitor Liz Hartley said the Mail on Sunday now accepted the allegations were "untrue and should never have been published and apologises to the claimaint".

After the hearing, Paula Yates said: "I am happy. I think when people start to tell lies about a three-year-old child anyone would take action.

"I am getting used to hearing nonsense every single day about myself."