KEY POINTS:
Last week the Herald on Sunday published an article in which Sharon Shipton was reported to have made comments on the status of her marriage to former police officer Brad Shipton.
These comments were attributed to Mrs Shipton, having been supplied to the Herald on Sunday by a close family friend.
The family friend told our reporter he had been authorised by Mrs Shipton to speak on her behalf and to release a statement in her words. This was confirmed to the Herald on Sunday by a relative. The Herald on Sunday accepted these statements at face value.
Sharon Shipton says she gave no such authorisation for any person to release any statement in her words. She was neither approached nor interviewed for the article by the Herald on Sunday.
The Herald on Sunday accepts it should not have used the phrase Mrs Shipton "told the Herald on Sunday".
The Herald on Sunday apologises to Sharon Shipton for the distress caused by the article.
- Shayne Currie, Editor
