Matt Driscoll was a hard-working, straight-writing, experienced sports journalist on the News of the World. He’d been told by his boss, Mike Dunn that he was shortly to be promoted chief sports writer. But incoming editor Andy Coulson took against him, and Driscoll was bombarded with a series of baseless disciplinary charges to force him to resign. He subsequently developed a stress-related illness, on the basis of which Coulson and his managing editor, Stuart Kuttner dismissed him. Driscoll has been unable to work since.

Last week the Employment Tribunal at Stratford, East London held the second hearing into the case which Driscoll has brought against the paper for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination. Among the less illuminating witnesses at the public hearing was ‘Cuddly’ Kuttner (a slightly less wrinkled version of his ultimate boss, Rupert Murdoch) whose knowledge of what his paper has paid in damages to previously injured parties was puzzlingly vague. Eyebrows were raised in incredulity and downright mirth when he told the tribunal that he was unaware of how much Wayne Rooney had been paid in damages after the paper (“Our motto is truth; our practice is the fearless advocacy of the truth”) claimed quite wrongly that the footballer had slapped Coleen McLoughlin (then his fiancée) in a Cheshire nightclub. Paying these bills is part of Kuttner’s job.

Well, Stu, just to refresh your memory, it was £100,000 + costs, between you and the Sun. And in case you’ve forgotten, last July, you coughed up £60,000 to Mr Max Mosley + c.£400,000 in costs for making up stories about him.

It’s more than odd that Kuttner’s forgotten these things. It must be seriously alarming for Young Master James Murdoch, his immediate boss. Perhaps dementia is setting in – grounds for dismissal by Kuttner rules. Better get a grip, Stu.

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