Octuplets woman wins court action

Mandy Allwood and partner Paul Hudson in 1996

Mandy Allwood, who became famous for conceiving and then miscarrying octuplets, has won her High Court action against her former publicist Max Clifford.

Miss Allwood sued Mr Clifford for breach of trust, claiming that he had made a "secret profit" out of selling her story.

She claimed he made deals for himself with a national newspaper, without informing her.

Max Clifford launched a counter-claim

Mr Justice Park, sitting in London, ruled her claim succeeded against Mr Clifford to a total of £15,200.

But he also upheld a counterclaim brought by the publicist against Miss Allwood for alleged monies owed to him, in the sum of £4,970.

The judge said Miss Allwood had accused Mr Clifford of misconduct, relating to a payment of £15,000 made by the News of the World to the publicist's company.

But he said he did "not agree with these attacks on Mr Clifford's honesty and reputation".

The judge ordered that each side should pay their own costs of the action.

'Right is right'

Miss Allwood, who had already paid £14,800 following an earlier cost ruling, will not have to pay any further sum.

She was unlikely to gain financially from the ruling because of the cost payment, but she stressed that money was not the issue.

Outside court, Miss Allwood said: "I have been caused considerable anguish by Mr Clifford's behaviour to me.

"I did this for our babies. As far as the costs are concerned, money is not everything. Right is right and wrong is no man's right."

Mr Clifford had contested the claim against him.

'Unexpected outcome'

Responding to the decision via a statement, he said he was surprised at the outcome.

Referring to the judge's ruling on the £15,000, he said: "I just find it incredible that the judge could reach this outcome when by his own admission Mandy Allwood and Paul Hudson are prone to making wrongful assertions and are so obviously unreliable.

"It defies belief then that he could accept their version of events on this point when not only had I explained this to Paul and Mandy but I was also publicly defending the interests of the News of the World across the entire media."

Miss Allwood, 35, is now believed to live in a village in the West Midlands - her address was not revealed in court.

Since losing the eight babies she has had three children with her partner, Paul Hudson.