The Wagatha saga has exploded into life again as lawyers Coleen Rooney and Becky Vardy have thrown it into another angry war.
The pair are fighting over a £320,000 bill Becky ran up ahead of her 2022 defamation trial.
6
Becky Vardy is on holiday in Thailand in hot spot Koh SamuiCredit: Eroteme
6
Meanwhile, Coleen Rooney is trying to pay 20 per cent of a hefty £320,000 legal billCredit: Getty
6
Becky’s friends say she is confident of winning the latest High Court case Credit: Rex Features
She is on holiday in Thailand and Coleen is struggling to pay 20%.
The 42-year-old is relaxing in the hot spot of Koh Samui with her English striker husband Jamie (37) and their five children.
“Wag War Two” heard Becky’s lawyers work on Christmas Eve ahead of her 2022 defamation trial, where Coleen accused Becky of leaking stories about her.
Lawyers for Coleen, 38, are contesting having to pay 20 per cent of the £320,000 pre-trial costs raised by Becky’s team, saying they are “unreasonable and disproportionate”.
But Becky’s lawyers insist the costs are proportionate.
And her friends say she is confident of winning the latest High Court case despite losing in the summer of 2022.
Insiders say Becky’s team are also preparing to hit back later this year after she was responsible for 90 per cent of Coleen’s £1.8m expenses.
Becky shared selfies by the pool at the posh five-star Four Seasons hotel, where Sky Atlantic TV’s hit White Lotus was filmed.
A source said: “Becky is living her best life in Thailand with Jamie and their children.
“The last thing she wanted was to be drawn into a war with Coleen, but her team will fight to win this round – and then they hope to cut Coleen’s costs later this year.
Coleen Rooney reveals she ‘felt sorry’ for Vardy in ‘painful’ Wagatha trial – and reveals how she got through giving evidence
“Becky believes Coleen’s £1.8million costs are overblown and her team will have their say when they face the Wag War Three in October.
“She is staying at a very exclusive resort and they are enjoying a well-deserved vacation as a family.
“It’s also a celebration for Jamie who is back in the Premier League with Leicester City
“Becky is confident her team will fight for her – as long as she’s got a cocktail in her hand and the sun on her back.”
She is staying at a very exclusive resort and they are enjoying a well-deserved vacation as a family
Source
Some of the costs in the current case relate to offers made at the February 2022 hearing for further documents and information from both sides, as well as Coleen’s attempt to have legal proceedings against Becky’s former agent heard alongside the defamation claim.
6
Becky, 42, on her Thai holiday with Jamie, 37, and one of their five children Credit: Instagram
Coleen’s team claimed the costs were excessive, as they questioned the number of people involved in the work and the work undertaken, including phone calls, letters and witness statements.
But Becky’s team said people had to work almost every day on the case, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
‘disproportionate’
Robin Dunne, representing Coleen, told Senior Costs Judge Andrew Gordon-Saker: “The costs are excessive and disproportionate.
“Here we are looking at a relatively short period of time — 61 days.
“The total number of hours claimed in this part is 558.6 hours. The total amount, even with these reduced hourly rates, is over £320,000.
“This includes £118,000 in adviser fees plus VAT and more than £149,000 in profit costs plus VAT.
“I’m not saying they were insignificant. These were significant reports and I fully accept that work should have been done and that they should have been taken seriously.
“But we’re looking at a period of about eight and a half weeks of work where lawyers were very significantly involved in almost every element of this matter.”
He pointed out that legal costs for the second preliminary hearing in the case were capped at £25,000, while Becky’s total bill for the defamation case reached just over £1m.
He said it was “inconceivable” that a court would allow Becky to rack up the “disproportionate and unreasonable” costs at the heart of this dispute.
Jamie Carpenter KC, for Becky, hit back at claims of “tactical low ball” and said: “These rates are reasonable rates.”
The costs are excessive and disproportionate
Robin Dunne, plays Coleen
He added: “There’s literally hardly a day that goes by when someone doesn’t get work done. The lead attorney worked on the case on Christmas Day while he was on vacation.
“Most people were working on it on Boxing Day, everyone was working on it the next day. Really everyone was working on the pumps. Nobody was doing work they didn’t have to.
“This was not voluntary, it was a huge amount.”
Becky has hired Kingsley Napley to represent her in the defamation battle, as well as leading barrister Hugh Tomlinson KC and top junior barrister Sara Mansoori
Judge Gordon-Saker is expected to rule today on whether Becky’s legal bill was disproportionate and how much Coleen must pay.
The pair will then go head-to-head again in October where Becky’s team will contest the £1.8m bill racked up by Coleen’s team.
Last week, Coleen was pictured leaving the gym near the Cheshire home she shares with new Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne, 38, and their four sons.
The Koh Samui private residence boasts its own wine cellar, butlers and private chefs for hire and private yacht charters.
Neither Becky nor Coleen are expected to attend the next round of legal battles later this year.
6
Becky says at the gorgeous five-star Four Seasons hotelCredit: https://www.instagram.com/fskohsamui/?hl=en
6
The Sky Atlantic TV hit White Lotus was filmed there
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education