According to The Daily Mail this morning the BBC is investigating Panorama journalist John Sweeney after he was secretly filmed buying champagne, gin and flaming sambuca for himself and the former assistant to Tommy Robinson-Lucy Brown.
Sweeney had contacted Lucy Brown as part of an investigation for the BBC1 programme which apparently was being co-ordinated with the organisation Hope Not Hate. Robinson and Brown then worked together to secretly record the meeting between Brown and Sweeney where according to Sweeney there was ‘no expense spared’.
According to The Daily Mail:
Wearing an undercover camera, Ms Brown met Sweeney, 61, at a pub in February this year. He ordered champagne and double shots of gin.
In the video he says: ‘Here I am, on expenses, in a boozer with the dog and a fire.’
He later orders ‘one more bottle of red wine’ before saying: ‘F*** it, no expense spared’ and goes on to ask for two glasses of brandy and two shots of the liqueur limoncello.
The bill arrives and he says: ‘Lovely, thank you very much. Er, I think we gotta do a runner, er, it’s a joke. It’s fine, I don’t care… I really don’t care. Erm, is service included? So make it £220.’
Mr Sweeney bought champagne, gin and flaming sambuca during the meeting, which was filmed secretly by former assistant Lucy Brown. Robinson, 36, is serving a nine-month jail term after he was found to be in contempt of court.Sweeney was also filmed saying he had pre-ordered a taxi because he had his dog with him, stating: ‘You know why, don’t you? Asian cab drivers don’t like taking dogs, it’s embarrassing.’
A source said: ‘The BBC have got themselves in a tailspin about this. They want to investigate Tommy Robinson but there are questions that need to be answered about a journalist operating in this way.’ It is understood Sweeney is in Italy while he awaits the BBC’s decision over how they deal with the video.
The BBC and Sweeney declined to comment last night but the Corporation insisted he paid for the drinks himself. It refused to confirm whether the Panorama on Robinson would be screened.
Tommy Robinson has since been imprisoned in HMP Belmarsh whilst Lucy Brown was part of an internal feud within the Tommy Robinson grouping that has seen her delete all her social media accounts and then go to ground.
Unity News Network (UNN) Staff Writer | To find out more details about our staff, please head to the About Us section on our website.
