Affidavit of Michael Hutchinson

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE 1992 G 395

QUEEN’S BENCH DIVISION

BETWEEN:

URI GELLER Plaintiff

and

• PROMETHEUS BOOKS INC
• PROMETHEUS BOOKS (UK) (a firm)
• EDDINGTON HOOK LIMITED
• VICTOR J. STENGER Defendants

I am the sole proprietor of the firm known as Prometheus Books (UK) the second Defendant in the above matter.
Pursuant to an arrangement with the first Defendant so to do, I publish and distribute in the United Kingdom various books, one of which was “Physics and Psychics”.
I recollect that I perused certain portions of “Physics and Psychics” before I did anything with it but I do not recollect whether I read the passage objected to by the Plaintiff, the subject of this action. If I did it did not remain in my mind when I distributed the book and I was never conscious of disclosing any information about the Plaintiff which was untrue. I therefore say that the publication of the words objected to was entirely innocent and inadvertent and unintentional.
I entirely accept that the Plaintiff has never been arrested and I apologise to him unreservedly.
I undertake never to take any steps to publish further the words complained of and will only publish and distribute the said book after the words complained of have been deleted.
Only one hundred and sixty one copies of the book in question have been sold or distributed and they were mainly to booksellers so I cannot tell on whose bookshelves the volumes referred to are reposing, so I do not see what steps I can take to correct the error of which the Plaintiff complains. There is a publication called “The Sceptic” distributed in the United Kingdom and an American publication called “The Sceptical Enquirer” distributed throughout the world, and if the Plaintiff wishes I will use my best endeavours to see that an apology is published in one or both of these publications, and will take any other reasonable steps the Plaintiff may wish by way of apology.
I make this Affidavit pursuant to Section 4 of the Defamation Act of 1982 and without prejudice to my contention that the words are not defamatory.

SWORN at 5 Chancery Lane, London, EC4 this 22nd day of May 1992

before me, James Rees

A Solicitor (James Rees)