Seven West settles Terrance Kelly Flowers defamation case

GEOFF VIVIAN AND TANGIORA HINAKI

Seven West Media has settled a defamation case brought by a Karratha man who was wrongly identified as the alleged kidnapper of four-year-old Carnarvon girl Cleo Smith.

The accused is Carnarvon man Terrance Kelly, but Channel Seven used a picture of Terrance Kelly Flowers it had lifted from his Facebook page.

Mr Flowers thanked his supporters today after the judgement.

“I’m just happy with the settlement in the Supreme Court,” he said.

“I’m happy that it’s all over and thank you for the support from the lawyers and all the elders and all the Aboriginal people out there, thank you.”

His lawyer Stuart O’Connell said he and Mr Flowers were both pleased it had been settled so quickly.

“In court today the Chief Justice of the Western Australian Supreme Court formally entered judgement in favour of Terrance,” he said.

“That was done in open court with Terrance being able to watch it on video.”

Mr O’Connell said the terms of the settlement were confidential.

Mr O’Connell works for O’Brien Civil and Criminal Solicitors, based in Sydney, who take on cases for disadvantaged people all over Australia.