Murat "Vindicated" After Damages Settlement

Madeleine McCann suspect Robert Murat has said he feels "vindicated" after receiving £600,000 as part of a libel claim against 11 British newspapers.

Mr Murat - who is still an official suspect in the disappearance of the four-year-old in Portugal in May 2007 - said the articles and sensational headlines that appeared in the papers about him had resulted in the "total and utter destruction" of his life.

The 34-year-old travelled to London's High Court from his home in the Algarve, to accept the settlement.

Mr Murat's then girlfriend Michaela Walczuch and IT consultant Sergey Malinka also brought proceedings against Associated Newspapers, Express Newspapers, MGN Limited and News Group Newspapers and were awarded "substantial six figure settlements".

Mr Murat's solicitor, Louis Charalambous, said they had taken the action over "baseless inaccurate media coverage".

"They accept that Mr Murat's actions after the abduction were entirely proper and were motivated by a desire to help find Madeleine McCann," Mr Charalambous said.

Speaking outside the court, Mr Murat added: "I am pleased that the publications concerned have today admitted the falsity of all their allegations and I can now start to rebuild my life.

"Today's statement of full apology in open court means I can emerge from this action vindicated and with the recognition and acknowledgement that what was said against me was wholly untrue."

The 11 papers involved are the Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Metro, Daily Express, Daily Star, Sunday Express, Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record (Scotland), Sun and News of the World.

All of the papers have agreed to publish reports of the statement to recognise the distress and damage that they have caused.

See Robert Murat Wins Damages From Newspapers

(NS/JM)