Seven West Media’s lawyers have reportedly launched contempt of court proceedings against Amber Harrison that could see the 40-year-old sent to prison.
As reported on B&T last week, Harrison, who famously had an affair with Seven CEO, Tim Worner, has regularly posted inflammatory comments about Seven’s management to her Twitter account in clear violation of a court order from mid-July preventing her in doing so.
Harrison has been ordered to remove the offending tweets, something she has refused to do.
Last month Harrison even told The Australian she was prepared to “go to jail to defend my right to have an opinion”. It’s not clear if Harrison were imprisoned what length of sentence she could expect.
Fairfax Media is today reporting that Seven’s lawyers have “expedited” contempt proceedings against Harrison over at least a dozen breaches that Harrison is alleged to have committed in defiance of the court order preventing her from doing so. Fairfax is reporting that the case will go to court in 10 days time.
Seven are also unhappy that Harrison appeared on both ABC TV and ABC radio a day after she was ordered not to speak about her time with Seven, her affair with Worner and her termination.
During the radio interview, Harrison admitted she knew of the consequences for speaking publicly. “I am liable for imprisonment or sequestration of property,” she said.
Harrison has also reportedly refused to hand over sensitive documents and laptops that she agreed to do as part of her termination package from 2014. Harrison was to be paid as much as $400,000 to remain silent and return Seven’s property. When she failed to do so, Seven stopped the payments.
Last week Harrison told News.com.au: “Channel Seven are kidding themselves if they think a court order is going to suppress the truth and protect corporate cover ups past, current or future in the present climate. It doesn’t work. It is a failed tactic. I will continue to speak out and I’m not removing tweets.”
In August, rogue blogger and self-confessed “citizen journalist”, Shane Dowling, was jailed for the three months for contempt of court after he published the names of Channel Seven on-air talent that Harrison had wrongly accused Worner of also having had affairs with.
