Doctor Who star Noel Clarke arrested after losing sex abuse libel case; police seize laptops and more

Noel Clarke, 49, the BBC actor known for Doctor Who, was arrested at his family home in Kensington, west London, during a five-hour police raid on Thursday morning. A specialist dog unit assisted officers in the search, and several boxes containing laptops and documents were taken from the property, Daily mail reported. Clarke was subsequently taken into custody for questioning. The reasons for the arrest have not yet been confirmed.

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Libel Case Against Guardian Ends in Defeat

Clarke’s arrest comes days after he lost a high-profile libel case against The Guardian. The actor sued Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles and a podcast, including an April 2021 report claiming that 20 women who had worked with Clarke professionally had made allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Clarke denied the claims, arguing that the newspaper had acted as “judge, jury, and executioner” of his career.

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High Court Orders £3 Million Legal Costs

A High Court judge ruled that Clarke must pay at least £3 million in the Guardian’s legal costs, describing his case as “far-fetched” and “false.” The total costs are expected to exceed £6 million following a detailed assessment. Justice Steyn said the £3 million sum was reasonable and allowed for a “suitably wide margin of error,” noting that Clarke had pursued claims of dishonesty and bad faith against almost all of the Guardian’s witnesses.

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Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

During the six-week civil case, over a dozen women gave evidence alleging that Clarke had sexually harassed or abused them. GNM defended its reporting as accurate and in the public interest, a position upheld by the High Court.