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Ex-Leeds United director Richmond gives evidence in libel trial
Former Leeds United director David Richmond today told London's High Court that he only leaked a document to Ken Bates in a bid to bring an end to his row with Melvyn Levi.
Mr Levi, 65, is suing Mr Bates, 77, for libel damages over three articles written by the chairman in the club's match-day programme in 2006 and 2007, and a letter sent to fans in 2007.
The articles variously accused Mr Levi of being a shyster, an "enemy within", attempting to blackmail the club and scaring off potential investors.
The dispute arose after Mr Bates took over the club in 2005 from the Yorkshire Consortium Trust, of which both Mr Levi and Mr Richmond were members.
Mr Bates says that Mr Levi blocked the sale of the remaining shares in the club in 2005 when he had no reason for doing so.
Mr Levi says he was never acting in a personal capacity – but rather for a company he was involved with called Cope Industrial Holdings - and there was a "genuine" legal dispute over whether or not a "call option" on the shares had lapsed.
The judge, Sir Charles Gray, has heard that, in September 2005, Mr Richmond gave Mr Bates - via a third party - a copy of a note of legal advice top barrister, Michael Crystal QC, had given over the validity of the "call option".
Contrary to previous legal advice, Mr Crystal said he believed that the call option was enforceable. Such advice weakened Mr Levi's position and strengthened that of Mr Bates.
Mr Richmond accepts that he passed the legal advice note to Mr Bates - but insisted that he only did so in an attempt to make peace.
Sir Charles has already heard from Mr Levi that he is considering whether or not to bring a separate legal action against Mr Richmond over the disclosure.
And Mr Richmond - whose father Geoffrey Richmond used to be the chairman of Bradford City - today told the judge that he was worried questions from Mr Levi's barrister, Simon Myerson QC, were an attempt to garner information for a separate court case.
"Last night's Yorkshire Evening Post, with Mr Levi stating that he is going to sue me, I believe this line of questioning is not for this particular case, he's trying to trap me to launch a case against me later," Mr Richmond told the judge.
But Sir Charles assured him that any line of questioning he perceived to be unfair would be stopped.
Of the disclosure itself, Mr Richmond said he had not done it for any financial gain, or because he was favouring one side over the other, but merely to try and end Mr Levi's dispute with Mr Bates.
"I have got nothing personal against Mr Levi," Mr Richmond told the judge. "I wanted an end to this situation. The reason for doing it was to resolve the difficulties.
"It didn't occur to me that it was something bad. Listen, hindsight says I shouldn't have done it. If I hadn't done it I wouldn't be sitting here today.
"But it is the context in which it was done. I have got nothing against Mr Levi in any way, shape or form."
Mr Richmond added that, when he had set his heart on a certain course of action it was very hard to change Mr Levi's mind, and he hoped by leaking the advice a solution would be found.
"The only way of resolving it was to put their heads together, to bang their heads together, and sort it," said Mr Richmond.
Later he insisted: "I am not on Mr Bates' side; I am not on Mr Levi's side. I am on no one's side. This is something which, from my perspective, should have finished five years ago."
He added that, when he found out the way in which the information was used - Mr Bates mentioned it in two articles he wrote for the Leeds match day programmes in late September - he "wasn't ecstatic".
Sir Charles heard argument from Mr Myerson and Ronald Thwaites QC, for Mr Bates, over whether or not Mr Richmond was bound by a confidentiality agreement not to leak the advice.
Mr Myerson accepted that Mr Richmond had not acted in bad faith but said the confidentiality agreement meant the advice should have stayed secret, while Mr Thwaites insisted that Mr Bates was entitled to the information and there had been no breach.
Mr Richmond himself said: "Everything going on with the football club was public knowledge. Every single thing that was said at meetings ended up in the papers. It was the least confidential group of people I have come across in all my life."
Mr Richmond also gave evidence about the Yorkshire Consortium's takeover of Leeds United in 2004.
The businessman said he thought the consortium was "out of its depth" and he had tried to "walk away" from the deal, only to be persuaded back on board.
Mr Thwaites asked Mr Richmond what his misgivings were about the takeover.
"Everything," he said. "The chemistry of the Consortium, it was clear, wasn't going to be very good. We had taken on something which was financially too big. It was all wrong and time proved it was all wrong."
However Mr Richmond said that, had the Consortium not come in for the stricken club, it would have been liquidated and would not be in existence today.
"There is no doubt whatsoever that if we hadn't bought that football club, there would be no Leeds United," he said.
Mr Levi, who was banned from Leeds games in 2005 by Mr Bates, has previously said that by calling him a "shyster" Mr Bates was using anti-Semitic language, although he does not accuse him of being anti-Semetic.
The case, due to last two weeks, continues, with Mr Bates not expected to take the stand until next Tuesday at the earliest.
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