David Walsh, the chief sports editor of The Sunday Times, has released a personal statement via the Press Association in which he has condemned the actions of Tom Humphries and apologised for comments made on radio relating to Tom Humphries' character.
Humphries has today been jailed for two-and-a-half years for the grooming and sexual abuse of a girl. Walsh was one of two people to write a character reference for Humphries in court (Donal Óg Cusack was the other), with Judge Karen O'Connor telling the court that she gave 'careful consideration' to character references provided.
In light of Walsh's character reference emerging three weeks ago, Today FM's Matt Cooper released a previously unheard interview with Walsh from 2012, in which he was challenged about his referring to Humphries as a "fine man" in his book, Seven Deadly Sins. Walsh told Cooper that he believed he knew "a damn sight more about it [the abuse case] than most people, and I believe Tom is a fine man".
In the statement today, Walsh apologised for these comments and condemned Humphries' actions.
Here is the statement in full:
As justice has now run its course I want to say that I unequivocally condemn what Tom Humphries did and have every sympathy for the victim in the case. I have read her victim impact statement and have some sense of the terrible ordeal she has been through.
Furthermore, in a radio interview five years ago I spoke about the case in a manner that was insensitive and ill-judged, I apologise unreservedly for that. In writing a character reference for Tom I was not in any way condoning the crime for which he has now been sentenced. I have been a friend of his for 30 years and since his arrest in 2011 I continued to be his friend because I believe a friend is there through thick and thin.
Tom did a terrible wrong for which he has now been given a custodial term.
