australian television information archive

Ex-female cop threat to Underbelly

THE much-anticipated third Underbelly series is under threat from a star of the real-life version - an ex-cop who claims she is defamed in the show by being intimately linked with Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim.

Former Constable Wendy Hatfield has launched defamation action in the Supreme Court, even though she hasn't seen the program, due to air later this month.

The former officer argues the TV series is based on the book - Underbelly: The Golden Mile - which defames her in chapter three by claiming Ms Hatfield "had a sexual relationship with John Ibrahim, knowing him to be a notorious criminal".

It also implies she is guilty of perjury, the court heard.

As a result, barrister Sue Chrysanthou is seeking access to five episodes of the Channel 9 series before it goes to air, with a plan to taking out an injunction if it is in fact as defamatory as they believe.

Ms Hatfield, who now lives in Victoria, has long been linked to Ibrahim, with the Wood Royal Commission in 1996 into police corruption hearing confirmation of an "intimate" relationship from his own lips.

However Ibrahim stopped short of describing it as a sexual relationship, the court heard today.

Rather, he only confirmed in evidence to the Commission in 1995 that he had a two-month affair with Ms Hatfield, and that they had taken a mid week getaway to go out on a dive boat off Forster.

Ms Hatfield, who resigned from the force, denied at the Commission she had a sexual relationship with Mr Ibrahim but accepted she did go away with him on the dive boat.

In court today, Ms Chrysanthou said her client stood to have her reputation wholly destroyed if the series is aired to millions of Australians.

"She cannot come back from that, there's no amount of money in the world that can put her reputation back to where it should be," Ms Chrysanthou said.

Plenty of online material and other publications have confirmed the character of "Junior Constable Wendy" who is played by former Home and Away actress Jessica Tovey, who has confirmed in a biography that she appears in five episodes.

The actor who plays Ibrahim, Firass Dirani, has also reportedly said his "hardest scene" was when he got "hot and heavy with Constable Wendy".

However, a sworn affidavit by Ms Hatfield's solicitor includes the following denial: "I am further informed by the plaintiff that she has never had a sexual relationship with John Ibrahim."

Justice Ian Harrison is expected to hand his decision down on Friday week.

By Lisa Davies
March 03, 2010
The Daily Telegraph