Noel Clarke fails in bid to have Guardian’s defence thrown out in £10million libel court action

ACTOR Noel Clarke yesterday failed in a bid to have The Guardian’s defence thrown out in a £10million libel court action.

The Doctor Who star and newspaper will now go to trial on March 3 over its claims he sexually harassed 20 women.

Stories in 2021 and 2022 accused Clarke, who was also in crime drama Kidulthood, of groping, bullying and sending sexually explicit images between 2004 and 2019 to women he met through work.

His barrister, Philip Williams, told the High Court that Clarke could not have sent one alleged “d*** pic” in May 2015 because he had not by then met his accuser.

Clarke, 49 — suspended by Bafta after the stories were published — accuses Guardian News & Media of perverting justice by deleting and fabricating evidence.

Mr Williams said journalists’ message threads were modified to try to “swindle” Clarke.

Referring to Clarke, who was in court, he said of the claims: “The police were so disinterested they didn’t even speak to my client.”

Gavin Millar, KC, for GNM — which is defending Clarke’s action on the grounds of truth and public interest — said its reporting was based on interviews with 22 people.

He said the deleted threads were “routine and banal conversations” between three journalists about “minor tweaks” to stories.

Mrs Justice Steyn rejected the plea to strike out the Guardian’s defence, reserving her reasons for a written judgment.