Martyn Smith: Apology
IN A report supplied to us by the Press Association and published on Tuesday 22 December under the headline "Dragons' Den creator spared jail over child porn offences", the defendant accused of downloading "unspeakable" child porn at a trial heard at Southwark Crown Court was wrongly identified as Martyn Smith, the Bafta-nominated TV director, producer and writer whose achievements include the BBC programme Dragons' Den, Mary Queen of Shops and The Apprentice.
We wish to make it clear that TV director, producer and writer Mr Martyn Smith, 40, of North London, responsible for Dragons' Den, was entirely unconnected with the case and has never been associated with any allegations of this sort. He continues to work with the BBC. We offer an unreserved apology to Mr Smith for the distress and embarrassment this story caused.
The case at Southwark Crown Court involved another TV producer of the same name who has no professional or personal relationship with the Dragons' Den Martyn Smith. The incorrect story appeared in first edition only and was corrected in later editions.