BBC reportedly sought permission to film Neil Lennon giving evidence

THE BBC is understood to have applied to film Celtic football club manager, Neil Lennon, giving evidence in court – according to an article in today’s Scotland on Sunday.

Writes Allan Brown, in the paper’s The Week supplement, the Court of Session refused the application. Lennon last month took to the stand in the Glasgow High Court to give evidence at the trial of two men who were to be later found guilty of conspiring to assault him.

There is no indication of the BBC having been approached for an official comment, but Brown quotes Mark Daly, an investigative reporter with BBC Scotland, as saying: “As someone who came through old-fashioned court reporting but now works in television, I’m a bit torn. On one hand, there are moments of drama and confrontation that would make breath-taking television. There were things in the [trial of former MSP, Tommy Sheridan, who last year was found guilty of perjury following a successful defamation case against the News of the World newspaper] that had to be seen to be believed. So, as a television reporter, I think anything to bring that closer is to be welcomed.

“There is also the judges’ point of view. Courts havd a tremendous solemnity, they’re not just places for airing grievances or having battles, they can be very sad and upsetting places.”