‘Len’s’ big bill

Press, 16 February 1984, Page 15

‘Len’s’ big bill

NZPA-PA London The sacked Coronation Street actor, Peter Adamson, who was being sued for £ 48,000 (about $103,680) by the solicitor who helped clear him of indency charges, has agreed to pay up. At a three-minute private hearing at Bury County Court, Greater Manchester, lawyers representing the actor’s former solicitor, Colin Nuttall, said Adamson had agreed to pay whatever figure the District Registrar, Mr Gerald Taylor, decided on after subjecting the bill to a “taxation” — a line by line scrutiny. The £48,000 bill is made

up of £35,000 (about $75,600) for Mr Nuttall’s firm, which is claiming 700 hours work at £5O (about $108) an hour, and £13,000 (about $28,080) owed to a barrister, Mr George Carman, Q.C. He represented the actor during last year’s trial at Burnley Crown Court. It will now go before legal cost experts before being submitted to the County Court for taxation and the final decision on how much should be paid by the man who played Len Fairclough in television’s longest running soap opera. After the brief hearing Mr lan Lawless, representing Mr Nuttall, said: “It

has been agreed between the parties that Mr Adamson will pay whatever costs are assessed by the District Registrar, once the bill has been subjected to the taxation.” Mr Nuttall said at his office later: “After the case he told me he couldn’t thank me enough and I would get my reward in heaven. I’m beginning to think that I will have to wait longer than that long.” Adamson was cleared at the trial last year of two charges of indecently assaulting two eight-year-old girls at swimming baths.