A former war correspondent has been awarded another $200,000 in costs related to his years-long legal dispute with one of Canada’s biggest media companies.
Arthur Kent won a defamation suit two years ago against the company that is now Postmedia and its former columnist Don Martin.
The case stemmed from a 2008 column that painted Kent as an out-of-control egomaniac as he campaigned for a seat in the Alberta legislature.
A judge found the piece would cause right-thinking people to think less of Kent and awarded him damages of $200,000 and costs of $250,000.
Kent had sought more than $1.2 million in costs.
The Alberta Court of Appeal said in a decision Friday that it would bump up the costs awarded to a total of $450,000.
Kent, who got the nickname “Scud Stud” while reporting for NBC during the Persian Gulf war, was a star candidate for the Alberta Progressive Conservatives during the 2008 campaign but was on record as disagreeing with some party policies.
Martin’s column, which used unnamed sources, painted Kent as a bad candidate who had alienated party staff.
“Alberta Conservatives have bestowed problem candidate Arthur Kent with a less flattering designation as he noisily blusters his way through their reeling election campaign – the Dud Scud,” Martin wrote.
The Tories went on to win a majority in the election, but Kent lost his race.
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