Polanski wins libel case

LONDON, July 22 (UPI) -- A London jury has found Vanity Fair libeled director Roman Polanski in a story saying he propositioned a woman right after his wife was murdered.

"It goes without saying that, whilst the whole episode is a sad one, I am obviously pleased with the jury's verdict today," the BBC quoted Polanski as saying from his home in Paris, where he has been living in exile since his California conviction on child sex charges.

"Many untruths have been published about me, most of which I have ignored, but the allegations printed in the July 2002 edition of Vanity Fair could not go unchallenged."

Vanity Fair had printed Polanski propositioned a woman in a New York restaurant while on his way to the funeral of his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, who was murdered by Charles Manson's cult followers in 1969.

The magazine later said the incident happened a couple of weeks after the funeral, but said it stood by the story.

The jury awarded Polanski damages of 50,000 pounds ($60,579).