Prince Harry has been awarded 140,600 British pounds ($268,000) after London’s High Court ruled he fell victim to a British publishing group’s extensive phone-hacking.
Key points:
- Prince Harry has called on police to launch a criminal investigation
- The judge found 15 of 33 published articles were the product of phone-hacking
- MGN “apologised unreservedly” after the ruling
The Duke of Sussex had sued Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, claiming in a written witness statement people at the company had blood-stained typing fingers.
His trial examined 33 stories published in MGN’s newspapers, which the prince alleged were the result of unlawful information gathering.
On Friday, Justice Timothy Fancourt found unlawful actions had contributed to 15 articles during a period when he concluded that there had been extensive phone-hacking and widespread unlawful actions at the newspapers.
Prince Harry, who is fifth in line to the British throne, became the first senior royal to appear as a witness in court for 130 years when he took the stand in June.
In a statement read by his barrister David Sherborne outside court following the ruling, the prince said he was happy to have won and called on police to launch a criminal investigation against the newspaper group.
He said he was targeted by MGN for 15 years from 1996 and that more than 140 stories which appeared in its papers were the result of unlawful information gathering.
Justice Fancourt also concluded some senior MGN executives and in-house lawyers were aware of the illegal activities, although nearly all those on the company’s board had not been told.
“I consider that his phone was only hacked to a modest extent, and that this was probably carefully controlled by certain people at each newspaper,” he said.
MGN, owned by Reach, had argued the accusations were not supported by the evidence but “apologised unreservedly” after the ruling.
“We welcome today’s judgement that gives the business the necessary clarity to move forward from events that took place many years ago,” a spokesperson for MGN said.
“Where historical wrongdoing took place, we apologise unreservedly, have taken full responsibility and paid appropriate compensation.”
Prince Harry and about 100 other claimants — including actors, sports stars, celebrities and people who simply had a connection to high-profile figures — have taken legal action over allegations of phone-hacking and unlawful information-gathering in the United Kingdom between 1991 and 2011.
During the trial, the royal was asked about one article published in 2000 which detailed his 16th birthday celebrations at a London pub.
In his witness statement, Prince Harry said: “I don’t know how anyone would have known I was at this particular pub, at this particular time, in order to be there, taking photographs of me.”
“I now understand that the by-lined journalists, and the 3am desk as a whole, are well known in this litigation for being involved in phone hacking and other forms of unlawful information gathering.”
But the newspaper’s lawyer argued the royal could have been spotted by a member of the public, and told the court Prince Harry had been unable to point to specific examples of law breaking.
Prince Harry has previously said reforming the British press is his life’s work.
“I’ve been told slaying dragons will get you burnt,” he said in the statement read outside court by his lawyer.
“In light of today’s victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a fair and honest press, it’s worthwhile price to pay.”
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle — the Dutchess of Sussex — have criticised several media organisations and personalities.
They now live in the United States.
One of the most high-profile critics of the couple has been media personality Piers Morgan, the Daily Mirror’s former editor.
Justice Fancourt on Friday found there was “compelling evidence” the editors of each of MGN’s newspapers “knew very well that [voicemail interception] was being used extensively and habitually and that they were happy to take the benefits of it”.
Morgan declined to comment on the judge’s findings.
The case is one of four that Harry is pursuing at London’s High Court.
He is also suing News Corp’s UK operation, News Group Newspapers (NGN), which publishes The Sun tabloid.
Along with singer Elton John and five others, he is suing Associated Newspapers (ANL), publisher of The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, over alleged phone-hacking and illicit privacy breaches.
Harry is also suing ANL in a libel lawsuit, and was earlier this week ordered to pay the publisher nearly 50,000 British pounds ($95,000) in legal fees as part of an interim ruling.
Reuters