Lawyer blasts Rebekah Vardy for ‘pulling a face’ as she is grilled in Wagatha Christie trial
COLEEN Rooney’s lawyer accused Rebekah Vardy of having “selective amnesia” and blasted her for “pulling a face” as she denied setting up paparazzi shots of WAGs during the 2018 World Cup.
The mum-of-five was this morning grilled over a night out with eight other wives and girlfriends in St Petersburg on day three of the bombshell Wagatha Christie trial.
She denied calling in photographers to snap the women – but was accused of “lying” by barrister David Sherborne.
Moments later, as he asked if she’d been in trouble with the Football Association’s family liaison officer, Harpreet Robertson, Rebekah appeared to wince.
Mr Sherborne then asked why she was “pulling a face”.
Rebekah – who has claimed Harpreet took an instant dislike to her – replied: “Because it was Ms Robertson again.”
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Harpreet said other members of the group felt they had been “set up” when the snaps were taken on the Russia trip, it’s heard.
Rebekah replied: “This is the first that I’ve heard of it.”
The High Court has heard that Harry Maguire’s fiancé Fern Hawkins was among those angry over the pictures, taken during the contest in Russia.
Fern said she was “embarrassed, not prepared and had not expected to be put in that position”, it was heard.
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But Rebekah told the court today it was actually Annie Kilner, wife of Manchester City and England defender Kyle Walker, who suggested they go out for a photograph.
She denied contacting the photographer in advance to set up the picture, despite messages between her and agent Caroline Watts that appeared to suggest she could have done.
In the chats, Rebekah appears to tell Miss Watt when the WAGs had left a hotel so it would be a “good time” for pictures.
She was then accused of having “selective amnesia” after she denied calling herself the “unofficial leader of the WAGs” in an interview about a no-sex ban for players.
The article said England’s successful run in the tournament was down to Gareth Southgate “giving the lads the freedom to score – with their wives and girlfriends”.
I was too busy washing my clothes in sink at World Cup to talk to journalists
It featured a picture of Rebekah naked and draped in the England flag, but she said the quote about her “leadership” was made up by her interviewer.
And she denied claims she had tried to “create attention” by speaking with journalists during the visit – because she was too busy washing her clothes in the sink during the tournament.
“I was busy with the kids and under so much stress,” she said.
“We even had to wash our own clothes in the sink at the hotel.”
The court heard the FA were “worried” about the wives and girlfriends “drawing too much attention” during the World Cup.
“If I’m being honest, I can’t remember that at all,” she said.
Mr Sherborne fired back: “Well, I would much rather you were honest, because you are in a witness box under oath.”
A High Court judge heard today:
- Rebekah Vardy was accused of having “selective amnesia” as she denied dubbing herself the “unofficial leader of the WAGs”
- She was accused of lying about a “staged” photo of fellow wives and girlfriends at the 2018 World Cup in Russia
- And she said she didn’t plot with agent Caroline Watt to organise the paparazzi photo
- Instead, she said she was too busy washing her clothes in the sink of the hotel room during the tournament
- Coleen Rooney’s barrister then accused her of trying to distance herself from her “strong links” with journalists
- Becky also denied leaking a story that Coleen had been in a car crash in Washington DC
Later, she said she hadn’t leaked a story in 2019 that Coleen had been involved in a car crash in Washington DC.
Coleen had posted a picture of her badly damaged Honda on her private Instagram account, the court heard.
The day after the message was posted, Miss Watt sent a message to Rebekah saying: ‘”Am I imagining it or did you say yesterday that Coleen had crashed her Honda?”
Rebekah replied: “She defo has” – and instructed Miss Watt to go into Coleen’s account. Ms Watt then sent another message saying: “She must have taken whatever it is down as it’s not there now.”
The court has already heard Miss Watt is not fit to give oral evidence to the trial, and will not be quizzed.
However, she is likely the “conduit” for the alleged leaks, it was heard on Tuesday.
Coleen and Rebekah have been at war since October 2019, when Coleen publicly accused her rival of leaking “false stories” about her private life after a month-long “sting operation”.
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The 40-year-old, who is married to striker Jamie Vardy, denies the accusations and is now suing for libel.
Under English defamation law, the burden of proof now will be on Coleen to prove that her post was “substantially true”. The trial continues.
- Rebekah Vardy branded Coleen Rooney a “school bully” who wanted to make her “feel paranoid”
- The mum-of-five stared down Coleen in the courtroom as she denied leaking any stories about her
- It was heard that Harry Maguire’s girlfriend was “furious” with Becky amid claims she’d set up paparazzi
- And bombshell WhatsApp messages were released showing Rebekah called Wayne Rooney a “c***”
- Peter Andre has also spoken out after he was dragged into the fray
- As the second day of evidence got under way yesterday, it was revealed Becky allegedly told her agent to leak a story about a high-profile celeb’s affair
- But she said messages urging her agent to give information to the press were just “jokes” and “gossip”
- And she admitted branding Danielle Lloyd a ‘nasty b***h’
- She also wept as she told the court of the abuse she’s suffered at the hands of evil trolls who threatened to rape her daughter
- This morning, she denied lying after telling the court she hadn’t set up a photo of WAGs in Russia during the 2018 World Cup
- In lighter news, Rooney’s court sketch had football fans in stitches