Noel Clarke must pay at least £3million of The Guardian publisher's legal costs after pursuing a 'far-fetched' and 'false case' against the newspaper's reporting of allegations of sexual misconduct, a High Court judge has ruled. At a High Court hearing yesterday, she said Clarke must pay £3million ahead of a detailed assessment into the total costs to be recovered, estimated to be above £6million. The barrister also said Mr Clarke had originally asked for damages of £10million, which then increased to £40million, then £70million, as the case progressed. Mr Clarke, who represented himself at the hearing, asked the court to 'consider both the law and the human reality of these proceedings' when ordering costs. Mr Clarke must pay the £3million within 28 days, Mrs Justice Steyn ruled.