Rebekah Vardy’s panic over that wild WAG photo and riddle of who really set it up

The WAGatha Christie trial saw Rebekah Vardy accused of setting up the infamous photo of the 2018 WAGs in Russia that 'embarrassed' Fern Hawkins

Annie Kilner, Fern Hawkins and Gemma Acton are team Rooney while Megan Davison is team Vardy

Image: SplashNews.com)

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Did someone with access to Rebekah Vardy's Instagram account leak stories about Coleen Rooney or did they not? That was the question at the heart of their dramatic Wagatha Christie trial at London's High Court in May.

In a bid to prove Rebekah, 40, had form, Coleen's team pulled no punches, accusing her of tipping off the paparazzi for an infamous picture of the England 2018 World Cup squad's wives and girlfriends in Russia.

Rebekah took to the stand, insisting that she'd had nothing to do with it. But Coleen's lawyer David Sherborne suggested she wasn't telling the truth, arguing: "You can't get your story straight because you're lying."

Rebekah, who is married to Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy, broke down in tears under questioning in the court.

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Left to Right: WAGs Millie Savage, Gemma Acton, Megan Davison, Rebekah Vardy, Annabelle Peyton, Fern Hawkins, Shannon Horlock, Annie Kilner, Lucia Loi

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( SplashNews.com)

Rebekah took Coleen to court after the latter publicly claimed that her fellow WAG's Instagram account had been leaking "false stories" about her family to The Sun. Rebekah denied it.

Referencing the famous photo from the Russia World Cup, Coleen claimed Rebekah "arranged" for a "paparazzo to be outside to photograph them" and that she had "not let the others know".

It's claimed the picture was then sold to a UK newspaper.

Coleen's statement said it could be "inferred" that Rebekah had "received payment directly or indirectly". Rebekah denied arranging the photograph or receiving payment.

Messages between Rebekah and her former agent Caroline Watt on the day in question were handed over to Coleen's legal team as part of their High Court battle.

A text from Rebekah at 2:37pm that afternoon read: "We may have to walk to restaurant from hotel now… so might be a good pic of us walking down it's about 10/15 mins away."

Caroline Watt replied: "Ok will let them know thanks."

Rebekah Vardy pictured arriving at London's High Court for the Wagatha Christie trial

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( REX/Shutterstock)

Rebekah text again at 4.12pm to say: "On the way down in the restaurant car… He's doing two runs."

Ms Watt replied: "Ok. Hopefully he catches you all! Don't forget to take a group shot."

Arriving at the venue, Rebekah joked: 'If he's here he is hiding in bushes or behind trees lol."

Thirty minutes later, Rebekah messaged again after gathering the other WAGs including Annabel Peyton, Shannon Horlock, Lucia Loi, Gemma Acton and Megan Davison outside for a picture

Rebekah's panicked message said she was worried that the other WAGs would think she'd called the photographer after they spotted him outside the restaurant.

Fern Maguire, left, pictured with Rebekah Vardy at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

"F*** I made everyone go outside for a pic and the pap was there… Looks like I tipped him off now," she wrote.

Furthermore, she said the WAGs wanted her to put her own version of the picture on Instagram to devalue the photographer's image.

She added: "Girls have asked me to put it on insta so quick get them out… they want me to put it up before the pap puts his in! I've bought about 10 mins."

At court, Rebekah insisted she had "nothing to do with the photograph" and that she did not receive a payment for it.

But she admitted that she had separately worked with a UK-based agency who would take photographs of her "or her family or pets on the basis that she would receive a percentage of the revenue from their syndication".

Meanwhile, in a witness statement from FA liaison officer Harpreet Robertson, the court heard that Manchester United star Harry Maguire's now-wife Fern Hawkins was "embarrassed" by the photo and "had not expected to be put in that position".

In testimony read to the court, Ms Robertson said: "Fern did express her upset to me, that she had taken part and she was embarrassed, was not prepared and had not expected to be put in that position by Mrs Vardy."

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