Molloy pays 93k in damages

Triple M Melbourne Breakfast Announcer Mick Molloy has lost his appeal over a defamation ruling regarding comments that he made on Channel 10's Before the Game program.

Molloy had suggested on the program that former Adelaide politician Nicole Cornes, who is married to 5AA's Graham Cornes (both pictured at left), had slept with then Port Adelaide footballer Stuart Dew.

The appeal was made on the grounds that the ruling missed the point of Molloy's humour.

This afternoon the Supreme Court in Adelaide dismissed the appeal and awarded Cornes $93,000 in damages. Outside the court Nicole Cornes commented;

"I'm very, very, very happy with the decision To me, this sends a message that you can't go around making sexist, defamatory comments on national television, then hide behind it being a 'joke'. This was not a joke, it was a sexist, defamatory comment that lowered a person's reputation."

Graham Cornes said today that he was proud of his wife; "This has not been an easy process, and you do hope today is the end of it. It took a toll on our family, there's no doubt."