Daily Mail publisher 'strongly denies' wrongdoing in Prince Harry privacy battle
The Duke of Sussex arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London for the start of the trial of his claim against the Daily Mail’s publisher over allegations of unlawful information gathering.
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The prince’s action against the Daily Mail’s publisher Associated Newspapers, was being heard at the High Court today in what is set to be a nine-week trial.
He is joining seven other high-profile figures including Elton John, his husband David Furnish, actors Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, and former Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, who are accusing the Daily Mail of hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars and homes, phone hacking, paying police for information, and even commissioning burglaries.
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Associated Newspapers has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and says the allegations as "preposterous smears.”
In written submissions, David Sherborne, representing the group of high-profile individuals, said there was a "culture of unlawful information gathering" that Mail journalists and executives were part of.
He said: "The unlawful acts which are the subject of these claims include illegally intercepting voicemail messages, listening in to live landline calls, obtaining private information, such as itemised phone bills or medical records, by deception or 'blagging', using private investigators to commit these unlawful information gathering acts on their behalf.
"The claimants' generic pleaded case is that they range through a period from 1993 to 2011, even continuing beyond until 2018, and even beyond the specific articles that deployed the fruits of this wrongdoing and unlawful episodes.
"There is compelling evidence, despite limitations due to the widespread loss of relevant documents, of Associated's unlawful information gathering activities, and unlawful articles which were published as a result, as the claimants will seek to argue at trial.
"There can be little doubt that journalists and executives across the Mail titles engaged in or were complicit in the culture of unlawful information gathering that wrecked the lives of so many."
Associated Newspapers Limited "strongly denies" that there was any unlawful information gathering, including voicemail interception, directed at the Duke of Sussex or his named associates.
Antony White KC, for Associated Newspapers Limited, said in written submissions that the articles in the case "were sourced entirely legitimately from information variously provided by contacts of the journalists responsible, including individuals in the Duke of Sussex's social circle, press officers and publicists, freelance journalists, photographers and prior reports".
He added: "At all material times, the Duke of Sussex's social circle was and was known to be a good source of leaks or disclosure of information to the media about what he got up to in his private life."
Mr White later said that Harry also discussed his private life in the media, and information about his life was also provided by Palace spokespeople.
Prince Harry is not expected to take to the stand until Thursday, according to a draft timetable.
The case, which has been ongoing since 2022, is one of several Harry has filed against media organisations since 2019 over alleged breaches of privacy and unlawful practices.