NICOLE KIDMAN - KIDMAN PAPARAZZO LOSES DAMAGES BID

An Australian photographer has lost his bid for damages against a newspaper which accused him of hounding NICOLE KIDMAN. Paparazzo Jamie Fawcett had filed a defamation suit against a regional newspaper, which publicly criticised him for allegedly pestering Kidman. The Sun-Herald ran an article 2005 accusing Fawcett of allegedly planting a listening device outside Kidman's Sydney home. The article was found by a jury to be defamatory last year (06) - with the current case filed to determine whether the newspaper's publishers, Fairfax Media, were liable for damages. However, in the New South Wales Supreme Court on Wednesday (27Feb08), Justice Carolyn Simpson ruled Fairfax Media, publisher of the Sun-Herald newspaper, had successfully defended the case. Called to give evidence by Fairfax in November (07), Kidman told a court how she feared for her life after being pursued by the photographer - and was forced to employ round-the-clock security for her and her family as a result. Speaking outside the court, Fawcett said, "It is very disappointing, it is not the outcome I wanted." Judge Simpson also insisted she was satisfied Fawcett had planted a listening device under a water meter outside Kidman's home - something the snapper refutes. He says, "I don't believe it is supported by the evidence," adding local police had dropped the case against him. Fawcett will pay Fairfax's legal costs, expected to be a six-figure sum.