News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Ferrari opens case over secret documents

Published: Jul 11, 2007 12:30 AM
Modified: Jul 11, 2007 04:31 AM

Ferrari opens case over secret documents

 

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Ferrari opened its court case against McLaren's chief designer Tuesday, accusing Mike Coughlan of possessing secret documents belonging to the Italian Formula One team.

Ferrari claims Coughlan and his wife had copies of Ferrari's design secrets.

"Their conduct by taking these documents, knowing they were not entitled to them, keeping them and copying them, on any view they behaved disgracefully," Nigel Tozzi, who is representing Ferrari, told London's High Court.

The hearing was adjourned until today, when Coughlan is to provide sworn affidavits on how he came into possession of the documents.

Earlier, Ferrari won a court order to search the Coughlans' home and search their computers.

Coughlan has been suspended by McLaren. He was linked to Ferrari head of performance Nigel Stepney, who was fired by Ferrari for allegedly sending the documents to Coughlan. Stepney has denied it.

UNSER JR. WON'T FIGHT DUI: Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. will plead no contest to a driving under the influence charge stemming from a January crash on a Nevada freeway, officials said Tuesday.

Lesser charges, including misdemeanor hit-and-run, failure to render aid in an accident and failure to report an accident, will be dropped, according to the deal. Unser's blood-alcohol percentage was almost three times the legal limit when he was arrested Jan. 25.

TEAMS FINED FOR FRACAS: Tony Kanaan and Sam Hornish Jr. have been fined unspecified amounts and placed on probation for the rest of the year for their roles in a fight at Watkins Glen, N.Y., the Indy Racing League said Tuesday.

Kanaan's team, Andretti Green Racing, and Hornish's team, Team Penske, were fined $25,000 each for the scuffle on pit road during the checkered flag.

DRIVER FREE ON DRUG CHARGES: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Aaron Fike and his fiancee were released Tuesday after spending the weekend in jail on drug charges, Fike's attorney said.

Fike and Cassandra Davidson, both of Cornelius, N.C., were arrested Saturday in the parking lot of an amusement park near Cincinnati after security officers observed suspicious activity in Fike's sport utility vehicle and found syringes and a brown substance believed to be heroin, police said.

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