'RIP Ms Watt's phone': Meet the lawyers making final quips in Wagatha Christie saga

rebekah vardy lawyer coleen rooney wagatha christie trial
rebekah vardy lawyer coleen rooney wagatha christie trial
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One boasts an unwavering perma-tan, signature bouffant hairdo, and star-studded contacts book.

The other is similarly well-connected, and equally accustomed to high-profile media showdowns.

Leaving the High Court this week, both have found themselves leapt upon by a swarm of waiting paparazzi, their faces plastered across the next day's newspapers.

But we’re not talking about Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy.

Instead, we turn our attention to their barristers, media law savants who have spent the past seven days brandishing their legal expertise, attempting to unravel witness statements, and quipping about memes.

On Thursday morning, David Sherborne delivered his final witticisms in a week that has been punctuated by searing one-liners met with stifled laughter in the courtroom.

Giving his closing statement, Mr Sherborne, for Mrs Rooney, delivered a series of seemingly well-planned quips.

Discussing the missing phone belonging to Rebekah Vardy's former agent Caroline Watt, from which messages were lost after she claimed it fell into the North Sea, Mr Sherborne said: "RIP Ms Watt's phone".

“The story we say is fishy enough, with no pun intended”, he quipped, referring to Ms Watt’s claim.

We can be sure to expect a similar array of one-liners from Mr Tomlinson QC, who is delivering his closing remarks on behalf of Mrs Vardy this afternoon.

Camp Rooney: Who is Coleen Rooney’s lawyer David Sherborne?

Since day one of the so-called “Wagatha Christie” libel trial, Coleen Rooney’s lawyer David Sherborne has been a sharp-tongued voice in Court 13.

The Oxford-educated barrister, reportedly nicknamed “Orange Sherbert” on account of his golden glow, has a strong anti-media track record.

Mr Sherborne is a leading lawyer for A-list clients when it comes to matters of defamation and privacy. In recent years, he has garnered media attention for representing the Duchess of Sussex in her battle against The Mail on Sunday, and Johnny Depp in his 2020 libel suit against the publishers of The Sun.

He is also known for representing Diana, Princess of Wales, former prime minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie, Donald and Melania Trump, and Sir Paul McCartney.

Laywer David Sherborne leaves the Royal Courts Of Justice during high-profile libel battle between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney - Yui Mok
Laywer David Sherborne leaves the Royal Courts Of Justice during high-profile libel battle between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney - Yui Mok

Called to the bar in 1992, Mr Sherborne rose to prominence as the lead counsel for alleged victims of Press intrusion during the Leveson Inquiry into the conduct of newspapers.

But “twice-divorced” Mr Sherborne came under media scrutiny of his own when reports emerged of allegations that he had visited a Greek island with Carine Patry Hoskins, who was junior counsel acting for the Leveson Inquiry, days after public hearings had concluded in August 2013.

Lord Justice Leveson dismissed any suggestion that his report into media standards could have been tainted by the alleged relationship between the two barristers.

'I don't know who Davy Jones is'

Now, Mr Sherborne is back under the spotlight, grilling Mrs Vardy about “leaked” stories allegedly taken from his client’s private Instagram account. In the early days of the hearing he accused her of being behind the Sun’s “Secret Wag” column, and said the libel case is “essentially about betrayal”.

On another occasion, a hint of irony perceptible in his voice, Mr Sherborne described what he called a series of “most improbable events” that had affected the disclosure of evidence in the case from Mrs Vardy and those around her.

This included Ms Watt’s “poor unfortunate phone” falling into the North Sea “within days” of the court ordering that, even though she was not a party to proceedings, it should be searched for disclosure.

“What terrible luck,” Mr Sherborne said.

Later in proceedings, he quipped that the phone belonging to Caroline Watt, Mrs Vardy’s former agent, lay at the bottom of the North Sea “in Davy Jones' Locker”.

The court erupted with laughter when Mrs Vardy responded: “I'm sorry, I don't know who Davy Jones is.”

Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Rebekah Vardy wiping away tears as she gives evidence - Elizabeth Cook
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Rebekah Vardy wiping away tears as she gives evidence - Elizabeth Cook

Mrs Vardy repeatedly broke down in tears while being questioned by Mr Sherborne, and proceedings had to be paused while she composed herself.

After days of cross-examining Mrs Vardy, Mr Sherborne appeared pleased and confident as he left Court 13, closely followed by a small army of eager-looking junior lawyers.

In subsequent days, when his client was under cross-examination from Mrs Vardy’s lawyer, Mr Sherborne sporadically interjected in incredulous tones.

Camp Vardy: Who is Rebekah Vardy’s lawyer Hugh Tomlinson QC?

A renowned specialist in media law and experienced barrister for celebrity clients, Hugh Tomlinson QC is leading Rebekah Vardy’s legal team.

Mr Tomlinson was appointed QC in 2002, and has represented a number of high-profile clients including oligarch Roman Abramovich and the Prince of Wales in his legal battle against Associated Newspapers.

He played a central role in the case involving MP's parliamentary expenses and represented multiple high-profile clients, such as Sienna Miller, in the News of the World phone-hacking case.

who lawyers rebekah vardy coleen rooney wagatha christie trial - Karwai Tang /WireImage
who lawyers rebekah vardy coleen rooney wagatha christie trial - Karwai Tang /WireImage

Over the course of the trial, Mr Tomlinson’s approach has been slightly less bullish than Mr Sherborne’s, his tone considerably softer.

Yet he has nonetheless subjected Mrs Rooney to hours of grilling. He frequently put it to Mrs Rooney that “anyone” could have been leaking stories about her to The Sun, and insisted that she “can’t be sure” the alleged leaker was Mrs Vardy.

At one point, Mr Tomlinson questioned Mrs Rooney about “Wagatha Christie” memes that were saved on her phone - including one which depicted herself as Scooby-Doo unmasking Mrs Vardy as a villain.

On day five, he appeared to struggle with the concept of Instagram stories, which allegedly formed the crux of Coleen Rooney's so-called "sting operation".

Cross-examining Mrs Rooney on the photos she shared to her Instagram stories, he asked: "Once you take a photo live... [is that photo] then stored on your phone?"

Mrs Rooney replied that this is "not always" the case.

who lawyers rebekah vardy coleen rooney wagatha christie trial - Julia Quenzler / SWNS /Julia Quenzler / SWNS
who lawyers rebekah vardy coleen rooney wagatha christie trial - Julia Quenzler / SWNS /Julia Quenzler / SWNS

On day six, Mr Tomlinson quizzed Wayne Rooney about his claim that he told Mr Vardy to ask his wife to “calm down” at Euro 2016.

“Ask his wife to calm down? She wasn’t dancing on tables,” Mr Tomlinson said, to laughter in the courtroom.

“No, she wasn’t - as far as I’m aware,” Mr Rooney replied.

Like Mr Sherborne, Mr Tomlinson smiled as he left the court on day six of the proceedings.