Amber Harrison threatened to launch a ‘reign of terror’ lawyers claim
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AS her affair with Channel Seven boss Tim Worner crumbled spurned lover Amber Harrison sent emails to another employee threatening to “destroy your idiot boss,” and to launch a reign of terror unlike what has been felt before,” a court has heard
Channel Seven barrister Andrew Bell SC revealed the emails at a Supreme Court hearing where the broadcaster is applying for a permanent gag order on Ms Harrison to stop her from continuing to release sensitive and confidential documents related to Seven on Twitter.
A day after The Daily Telegraph revealed the former high-flying executive assistant is now broke and living off the generosity of her family in Melbourne, Harrison chose not to fly to Sydney to face yesterday’s hearing leaving it to her lawyers to fight Seven’s application to stop her speaking to the media.
The court heard Ms Harrison had written in the emails, “he knows I’m out to get him,” and, “this is now war.”
Mr Bell said the emails showed Ms Harrison had, “intent to damage and to cause ongoing harm to his clients”.
Harrison’s lawyer James Catlin, however, accused Seven of using a temporary court gag-order to launch a “a full scale media campaign against her” in which Seven chairman Kerry Stokes and high-profile board member and former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett have said she is, “a thief.”
In an affidavit tendered to court Ms Harrison said she began having an affair with Mr Worner in December 2012.
However a year later when Ms Harrison, who was executive assistant for Seven’s Pacific Magazine boss Nick Chan, was transferred to the same offices where Mr Worner worked everything changed.
“(It) became uncomfortable for a number of reasons, including because of gossip regarding his personal life and also I felt he was ignoring me and disregarding me during work hours,” Ms Harrison wrote.
She said he ignored her requests to be moved and she developed anxiety and depression and lost 20 kg.
Ms Harrison said that when she heard gossip that Mr Worner had slept with another woman she sent him an angry text the contents of which were partly censored by the court but included the words, “F*** me Tim. You are right. You are busy.”
Ms Harrison claims days after she sent that text an internal investigation commenced into her use of a corporate credit card which would ultimately lead to her being accused of stealing $262,000. An allegation she denies.
Her affidavit states she was made redundant in November 2014 and signed a deed of release in which she was paid $100,000 to keep quiet about her affair with Mr Worner.
Mr Bell told the court Ms Harrison was paid in instalments a total of $427,418 in exchange for signing the deed in which she agreed “not to make any statement about the relationship publicly” or “publicly disparage or bring into disrepute the company.” Those payments stopped in February 2015.
Ms Harrison’s lawyer James Catlin played down the emails saying they were “very few in number for a woman scorned you might think”.
He criticised Channel Seven chairman Kerry Stokes’ recent comments at a shareholders meeting that Harrison stole $262,000 from the company and Premier Jeff Kennett’s comments that she was paid out $380,000.
“It’s taken maximum advantage of the gag on Harrison to effectively vilify her as a thief,” Mr Catlin said.
Mr Catlin said when Seven sought the urgent gag order on Ms Harrison last week they should have told the court they were “going to let rip with two barrels,” on Harrison and “one of our most high profile directors is going to get on the radio, go to the media and get revenge.”
Judge Robert McDougall ordered the interim injunction on Ms Harrison continue and said he would give his reasons on Wednesday.
A hearing on a final gag order on Ms Harrison will be heard at a future date.
