Substantial damages awarded over Richard III film

A university academic is to be awarded "substantial damages" after a court ruled the portrayal of him in a Steve Coogan film about the discovery of a Richard III's remains did have a defamatory meaning.

Richard Taylor sued the comedian, who wrote the film The Lost King, as well as production company Baby Cow, and Pathe Production.

It was announced on Monday that Mr Taylor, who was unhappy about the way his character was portrayed, had been successful in his claim.

The film, which told the story of the search for the Plantagenet monarch under a Leicester council car park in 2012, will now carry a message at the front of the film, and defamatory comments not repeated.

The Lost King focused on the role of historian Philippa Langley in the search, which involved archaeologists from the University of Leicester.

Mr Taylor was the deputy registrar of the University of Leicester at the time and was later played in the film by actor Lee Ingleby.

In June, Judge Jaron Lewis ruled the film portrayed Mr Taylor as having "knowingly misrepresented facts to the media and the public" about the discovery, and as being "smug, unduly dismissive and patronising", which could be defamatory.

The case was due to proceed to trial, but lawyers for Mr Taylor told a hearing on Monday that the parties had settled the claim.

As well as agreeing to a financial settlement, the defendants are to add a card to the front of the film in versions in England and Wales.

The card will read: "Whilst in this film there is a character called Richard Taylor who is shown to be an employee of the University of Leicester, the portrayal of him is fictional and does not represent the actions of the real Mr Taylor, who was employed by the University of Leicester as its deputy registrar, and acted with integrity during the events portrayed."

No edits or cuts to the film were part of the settlement, the defendants said.

In a statement after the hearing, Mr Taylor - now the chief operating officer at Loughborough University - added: "Whilst it is clear to me that the defendants were misled as to the events of the discovery, they made a deliberate choice to accept those accounts, failing to speak or check basic facts.

"Our work is twisted into a false caricature of university elitism, ivory towers and self-interest."

Mr Taylor said Philippa Langley's initiation of the project and "driving confidence" had made it possible for Richard III to be found.

He added: "Hers was a remarkable contribution. But it did not extend to leading the archaeological search or scientific analysis, for which she was neither qualified nor experienced to lead.

"I could have dropped Philippa's approach for help into the waste bin when it arrived in 2011, and there have been days over the last three years when I wished that I had.

"But I didn't, and my decision to deploy the resources and expertise of the university enabled this search to happen."

Daniel Jennings, defamation partner at Shakespeare Martineau, which represented Mr Taylor, described it as a "defamation David and Goliath moment".

He said: "Individuals often feel unable to speak up against large corporations and well-known personalities, but this win demonstrates that there is recourse when wrongs have been committed.

"We live in an era of documentaries, podcasts and very public investigative journalism and there's a growing trend for film and television productions to be labelled as 'true accounts' to grab audience attention and generate media buzz around new releases.

"Mr Taylor's win should act as a real warning for anything looking to use those tactics.

"The law is very clear and there are defined routes to compensation for individuals who find themselves misrepresented."

A joint statement from Pathe Productions, Baby Cow Productions and Steve Coogan added: "As a distributor and producer recognised for bringing complex, real-life stories to audiences, we are deeply aware of the responsibility that comes with such portrayals and approach each project with care, integrity, and a commitment to authenticity.

"We remain incredibly proud of this film and are pleased this matter has now been settled.

"As part of the agreement, no material editorial changes will be made to the film beyond an onscreen clarification at the beginning of the film."

Additional reporting by Dan Martin