Last month George won £75,000 in damages from the newspaper following an article in the paper that alleged he beat up his lover and mother of his child.
The action cost the title £1,000,000, News Group Newspaper's senior lawyer Tom Crone told a parliamentary committee on press standards, privacy and libel today.
But, in a chance meeting in a pub after the trial, a juror told a member of the paper's defence team the jury had not understood the trial.
"'There was a big rich newspaper on one side and the little guy, so we decided to give it to the little guy'," the juror reportedly said, claimed Crone.
"You can have a two-week trial and the jury comes out the other end of it not understanding what's happened," added News of the World editor Colin Myler.
Under UK libel law the 'burden of proof' lies with the defendant, which has become 'a very onerous burden for newspapers', added Crone.
Myler and Crone were giving evidence on press standards, privacy and libel to a hearing of a House of Commons select committee. More coverage to follow on Journalism.co.uk.
Free daily newsletter
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Related articles
- Newsrewired throwback: What you learned at our previous digital journalism conference
- First-party cookies: 'Get legal help to avoid fines'
- Collecting first party data: Why meaningful consent should matter to publishers
- Tip: How to keep your communications secure
- Kevin Donnellan, social media consultant, on the dos and don'ts of social media reporting