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Family of Chris Cornell suing doctor they claim overprescribed drugs prior to rock star's death

Cornell died by suicide last year at the age of 52.

FAMILY MEMBERS OF Chris Cornell have sued a doctor they say overprescribed drugs to the rock singer, leading to his death.

Cornell’s widow, Vicky Cornell, and their children, Toni and Christopher, are plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that prescription drugs, especially the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam, led to erratic behavior from the Soundgarden frontman before his death in Detroit in 2017 at age 52.

The lawsuit says Dr Robert Koblin and his Beverly Hills office “negligently and repeatedly” prescribed “dangerous mind-altering controlled substances to Chris Cornell which impaired Cornell’s cognition, clouded his judgment, and caused him to engage in dangerous impulsive behaviors that he was unable to control, costing him his life”.

It focuses in particular on Koblin’s prescribing Cornell large amounts of lorazepam — which is sold under the brand name Ativan — to Cornell in the 20 months leading up to his death.

The lawsuit states Koblin and his office staff issued the prescriptions without the doctor physically examining or speaking to Cornell during that time period.

Coroner’s investigators ruled Cornell’s death a suicide by hanging. Toxicology tests showed the presence of Ativan along with barbiturates, caffeine, the anti-opioid drug naloxone, and a decongestant.

But the autopsy report said the drugs were not a cause of death.

The lawsuit says Koblin knew Cornell had a serious history of substance abuse.

The “unmonitored use of such excessive amounts of lorazepam … was known to increase the risk of suicide because it can severely impair judgment, thinking and impulse control and diminish the ability of a patient to think and act rationally,” the lawsuit says.

Staff reached by phone at Koblin’s office said there was no immediate comment.

Vicky Cornell has said since immediately after her husband’s death that she felt the prescription drugs he was taking drove him to behave strangely, and there were no signs he might take his own life.

“At the time of his death, Mr Cornell had everything to live for and was planning a future of recordings, performances and continued work as a charitable activist,” the lawsuit says.

Cornell’s wailing voice and his long-haired, shirtless stage presence made him an essential figure in the grunge-rock of the 1990s.

Soundgarden was among the first groups to surge to national attention in a wave that later included Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains.

Cornell also fronted the super-groups Audioslave with members of Rage Against The Machine and Temple of the Dog with members of Pearl Jam.

Last month, a bronze statue of Cornell was erected outside the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle.

The lawsuit, which seeks damages to be determined later, also names anonymous staffers at Koblin’s office as defendants.

Cornell’s oldest daughter, 18-year-old Lillian Jean Cornell-Silver, is also named as a defendant, but the lawsuit emphasises that she is only included for procedural reasons.

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21 Comments
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    Mute Windom Earle
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:13 PM

    For a tiny insignificant country we really have it lucky the way we’ve access to US presidents who having been visiting the Emerald Isle now for decades. To have a sitting president who is also an employer in Ireland is just unprecedented. We constantly hear tripe about the EU and Ireland is at the ‘heart of Europe’ but America has done far more for us than being a colony to Germany/France.

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    Mute Daragh Harmon
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:18 PM

    @Windom Earle: Spot on.

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    Mute Daragh Harmon
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:18 PM

    @Windom Earle: spot on

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    Mute MyBrokenKnees
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:19 PM

    @Windom Earle: who paid for the roads you drive on. Who pays farmers for there quotas. The EU has done for more for this little country in the last 40 years than a couple of US presidents.

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    Mute Vory2Stars
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:20 PM

    @Windom Earle: Shhh stop talking sense. Boo Trump. I rEad bAd thiNGs ab0ut tRump in Sheep Weekly.

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    Mute Charles McGuire
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:28 PM

    @Windom Earle: Trump is only interested in America, you think if he could bring Apple and Google back to America with all those jobs he wouldn’t?? He is not an employer here, unless you’re only counting Doonbeg?

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    Mute Thomas Quinn
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:30 PM

    @Windom Earle: Nothing to do with luck Wisdom….. Thanks to the millions upon millions of IMIGRANTS that came from Ireland. Helped build America and integrated into every Facit of life there. Who are now a very powerful voter generic to tap into come election time for votes. Hence…. WISDOM why we get access to their presence whenever they need the points swing in the poles.

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:52 PM

    @Windom Earle: what a load of nonsense

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    Mute Dave Thomas
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:00 PM

    @Marc Power: what do you expect from a trump supporter?

    48
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    Mute Eugene Conroy
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:02 PM

    @MyBrokenKnees: last I’ve heard we have given the eu 200+ billion in fishing rights for those roads and farm subsidies over the past 40 years. That combined with saddling gamblers debt on the children and grandchildren of our current tax payers ( myself and spouse ) included. The US dollar sent home from EMIGRANTS in the US kept this country’s poor fed for decades unlike the enslavement to EU debt imposed in the last decade which will have the majority of citizens on there knees in the very near future

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    Mute John Kelly
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:12 PM

    @Eugene Conroy: good man eugene a slanted opinion of course sure theres no fish outside irelands fishing limits .. we gave the EU 200 billion worth of fish .. did they not have to catch them first and land a huge amount of them in our ports to have them processed and as for the money from America to feed the poor good God man get your head out of peig sayers..

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    Mute Martin O'Reilly
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:26 PM

    @Eugene Conroy: Good man Eugene crawl and bow to your masters. To those quislings who sold out………!

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    Mute John Kelly
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:30 PM

    @Thomas Quinn: millions upon millions .. why not use a trump ism altogether.. billions and billions

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    Mute John Kelly
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:31 PM

    @MyBrokenKnees: our fish according to some commenter

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    Mute Martin O'Reilly
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:38 PM

    @Windom Earle: Winddumb! I see your lobotomy was a success

    17
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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Jun 4th 2019, 8:44 PM

    @Windom Earle: __ Never have I seen so much complete and utter bowlocks in a comment on the Journal.

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    Mute Mr.E
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    Jun 4th 2019, 9:14 PM

    @Windom Earle: Trump only cares about 2 things, himself and people like him. I will admit that he isn’t the worst president that has been in the Oval Office but his ignorance and complete lack of common sense is nothing short of astonishing. I think 50 cent was right, he ran for president to get his name out there again so he could get back into the lime light, I don’t think he thought he could win and now he’s just sticking to the script that got him elected.

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    Mute Candace
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    Jun 4th 2019, 9:40 PM

    @MyBrokenKnees:

    So we gained our freedom and independence from the Brits, only to run under the wing of the EU for roads and quotas. Can’t wait for the day when we the people remove the tolls on these roads.

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    Mute Candace
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    Jun 4th 2019, 9:41 PM

    @Eugene Conroy:
    Spot on

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    Mute Orla Smith
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    Jun 4th 2019, 10:02 PM

    @Candace: You are loyal to The Vatican State, not Ireland, hypocrite.

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    Mute Paul Doyle
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    Jun 5th 2019, 2:34 PM

    @Windom Earle: If America and the UK do well then we do well.
    Its not a joke its a fact, support them while times are tough and they will remember it.

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    Mute Paul Doyle
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    Jun 5th 2019, 2:45 PM

    The M50 has paid for itself… The farmers have to limit production to fill quotas (This is not a good thing) The payment they get is called a subsidy for not over farming.

    Ireland fought hard for its freedom and a boomer generation sold it for cheap money.

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    Mute Candace
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    Jun 5th 2019, 11:00 PM

    @Orla Smith:

    How’s Maggie and the Klan, business good?:)

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    Mute Mel Fitzpatrick
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:09 PM

    Like two pri(ks in a pod

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    Mute Daithi Ó Raghallaigh
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:13 PM

    Nigel got his kids German passports just in case.

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    Mute Darius Guppy
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:20 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: no he did not. Their mother is German and have been long term dual citizens.

    Nigel Farage would not be entitled to get them a German passport.

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    Mute TheTrustedChalice
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:54 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: you’re nonsense has been emphatically fed back to you.

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    Mute Daithi Ó Raghallaigh
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:55 PM

    @Darius Guppy: Nigel Farage Freely admitted two of his children have both British and German Passports and his own great Grandfather Migrated from Germany to the UK. are contradicting him? https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/apr/18/nigel-farage-admits-his-children-hold-german-as-well-as-uk-passports

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    Mute Charles Alexander
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:15 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh:
    I think the point Darius was making is that Farage’s children obtained German passports by virtue of their German mother as your link to the Guardian article confirms.
    Your original post implied that Farage personally obtained them and I assume you meant through his own lineage which was not the case.

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    Mute Daithi Ó Raghallaigh
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:40 PM

    @Charles Alexander: no I pointed out his own lineage as an example of Migration he opposes. Also his kids have long time German passports which would have required his authorization as kids getting passports require parents consent.

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    Mute Darach Malone
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    Jun 4th 2019, 8:14 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: His first wife was Irish and he has two children with her.

    14
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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Jun 4th 2019, 9:19 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: Trump would love you, another fake news merchant for him to moan about.

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    Mute TheFreeSpeechParty
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:56 PM

    Hope he has a great time over here!
    I don’t care anymore about armchair protesters who know nothing about politics.

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    Mute Keith O'Reilly
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    Jun 4th 2019, 8:24 PM

    @TheFreeSpeechParty: And you do?

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    Mute Orla Smith
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    Jun 4th 2019, 8:29 PM

    @Keith O’Reilly: He’s an Irexit and Gemma O’D supporter, The Unvotables, LOL! Cuckoo, cuckoo!

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    Mute Pl O'neill
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    Jun 4th 2019, 9:56 PM

    @TheFreeSpeechParty: The Democrats can’t touch him on the Politics . They are determined to get him 4 more years .

    10
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    Mute Roy O'Rourke
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:19 PM

    Imagine these two in the same room as Keith Duffy and the chunky bloke from Westlife that was married to the Atomic Kitten one. The amount of antimatter generated could potentially tear the universe to pieces

    75
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    Mute Squiddley Diddley
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:16 PM

    @Roy O’Rourke: That would make Keith Duffy the smartest guy in the room I reckon.

    58
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    Mute Jack Simpson
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:30 PM

    I only read today that, before Trump’s juvenile remark, Sadiq Khan called Trump a “20th century fascist”. What a stup1d thing to say! Remarkable how underreported this is but not surprising!

    71
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    Mute Christopher Mulrooney
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:37 PM

    @Jack Simpson: Trump does fancy himself a fascist dictator you can see this with him cozying up to the like of Putin,Netanyahu and Kim Jong-un.

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    Mute Jack Simpson
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    Jun 4th 2019, 8:38 PM

    @Christopher Mulrooney: Trump is not a fascist. Neither are the people you mentioned. Trump derangement syndrome is widespread!

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Jun 4th 2019, 8:46 PM

    @Jack Simpson: __ He’s not a 20th Century fascist, he’s a 21st Century fascist.

    12
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    Mute Pl O'neill
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    Jun 4th 2019, 9:55 PM

    @Jack Simpson: Khan is bringing London back a few centuries anyway .

    18
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    Mute Martin Brennan
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:23 PM

    Love is blind and dangerous liaisons are formed then again voters get what they deserve see what the love in with FG has achieved

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    Mute john doe
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:49 PM

    @Martin Brennan: we get the politicians we deserve eh

    17
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    Mute Orla Smith
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    Jun 4th 2019, 8:04 PM

    Poor old Melania, always looks like a hostage, hopefully one day soon she’ll tell all.

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    Mute Pl O'neill
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    Jun 4th 2019, 9:54 PM

    @Orla Smith: I hear she’s putting out for the Donald tonight . Lucky Guy !

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    Mute Orla Smith
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    Jun 4th 2019, 10:03 PM

    @Pl O’neill: Creep.

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    Mute Pl O'neill
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    Jun 4th 2019, 9:53 PM

    Donald is getting loads of Rumpy Pumpy from Melania this Holiday . Great Guy .

    Nigel Farage = Great Guy . The Gretest Freedom Fighter since Michael Collins .

    Another Great Victory in the Peterborough By-Election on Tuesday .

    Nigel just gets better and better and better .

    If Irish Republicans had their Nigel Farage All of Ireland would be Free .

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    Mute southside
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:12 PM

    Thick as thieves

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Jun 5th 2019, 12:03 AM

    @southside: But did you hear about the UK privatising their NHS to US companies???
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/04/trump-says-he-turned-down-corbyn-request-to-meet

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    Mute Keith O'Reilly
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    Jun 4th 2019, 8:23 PM

    Farage, there’s a ‘negative force’ for you!

    12
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    Mute Brendan Kernan
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    Jun 4th 2019, 10:09 PM

    Look on the bright side US about to turn the UK into a dependent vassal state with no say in US politics. Next PM will be a lap dog, and possibly grow two heads after eating US genetically modified food. The terra firma will be an aircraft carrier for US forces, who will pilage the local maidens UK once a empire now becomes a colony of US imperialism with Nigel Farage as governor general. Queen consigned to was model.

    10
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    Mute Finbarr Cooper
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    Jun 4th 2019, 6:11 PM

    May Farage Jacimov???

    9
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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:48 PM

    Ah yes… But there is a storm, and then there are strikes in France, and then there are the French … Good luck

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    Mute pat seery
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    Jun 4th 2019, 7:50 PM

    Nice to see Two Docks Happy

    3
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    Mute pat seery
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    Jun 4th 2019, 8:17 PM

    @pat seery: DUCKS

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    Mute Simon Murphy
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    Jun 5th 2019, 12:24 AM

    The poster of Farage kissing Trump in this story is problematic because of its homophobia.

    The message it is clearly sending is that being gay is laughable.

    The person carrying the banner is a homophobic bigot.

    I loathe Trump and Farage and I loathe that poster for its vile message.

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    Mute Bob Doran
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    Jun 5th 2019, 12:28 PM

    Trump has made enquiries regarding the
    King position in U.K…..

    1
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    Mute John McGovern
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    Jun 5th 2019, 1:16 AM

    When will commentators, journalists, sub-editors and people in general learn the difference between ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’? They’re over there with their friends. Not too difficult.

    1
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