Ono in court

Yoko Ono's lawsuit against her late husband John Lennon's personal assistant went to court in New York yesterday. Ono is suing Frederic Seaman claiming he exploited the ex-Beatle's death by stealing priceless family photos and mementos, then selling them to collectors, and that he defamed Yoko’s name by falsely portraying himself as Lennon's only true confidante. The lawsuit has been awaiting a court hearing since the late nineties – Ono wants Seaman to surrender the rights to 374 photos he took of Lennon and turn over about $75,000 in profits from the sale of manuscripts and letters. Ono's attorney, Paul LiCalsi told the BBC: "We're delighted that we're finally bringing this case to trial and are quite confident about the outcome.” Seaman’s defense attorney Glenn Wolther said his client denies any wrongdoing: "We have serious concerns about any attempt to restrict Mr. Seaman's right to free speech.”