As the trial of Prince Harry’s lawsuit against a newspaper publisher draws to a close, attorney for the Duke of Sussex told the London High Court that, the Young Prince was a “prime target” for the tabloid, and undoubtedly was the subject of phone-hacking.
Over 100 people, including Prince Harry, have sued Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the owners of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Sunday People, for allegedly hacking their phones and illegally acquiring informations, between 1991 and 2011.
They asserted that, senior editors and managers at MGN were aware of the misconduct and gave the approval. MGN, which is operated by Reach (RCH.L), has been contesting the suit, and has claimed that, the charges are unsupported by any proof.
Attorney representing the plaintiffs, David Sherborne stressed to the court that, the case against MGN was “inferential” and that phone-hacking and other illegal information collection was a clandestine practice.
However, he went on to say that, given the practice’s ubiquity at MGN newspapers, and the degree of media interest in the Prince, the court might conclude that, Harry was the target of phone hacking.
“The newspapers regarded him as a prime target, perhaps one of the most prime targets, in the sense of royal stories drive newspaper sales.”
David Sherborne Esq.
Despite having already settled more than 600 claims, and earlier acknowledging that, some of its staffs had engaged in illegal information collecting, MGN maintained that, there is no proof Harry’s phone was hacked.
MGN contended that, some of the private information about Harry, included in publications highlighted throughout the trial, came from top Buckingham Palace staff members, or with their permission.
In court documents, MGN’s attorney Andrew Green averred that, it was “highly unlikely” that MGN might have deliberately targeted Harry, especially after the 2006 arrest of the then-royal editor, Rupert Murdoch and a private detective, for listening to the voicemails of royal aides.
On the other hand, Sherborne disagreed, stating that, it was “plainly implausible” that, MGN would not have “used every opportunity to obtain stories” given their resources. Sherborne claimed that, MGN’s unwillingness to bring former employees, notably, former Daily Mirror editor, Piers Morgan to testify, was detrimental to its defense.
When the trial began, Piers Morgan said he would not “take lectures on privacy invasion from Prince Harry” and reiterated his steadfast denial of any awareness or contribution to any illegality.
Royal History
In this month’s appearance in the witness box, for a day and a half of questionings, Harry, the Duke of Sussex, made history by becoming the first senior royal to testify in court in 130 years. The heir apparent who is sixth in line to the throne, declared that he believed phone hacking was done on a large scale at MGN’s titles.
Moreover, MGN’s attorney Green claimed in court documents that, Harry’s “undoubtedly fair resentment about his treatment by British and international media for many years” had been channeled through his legal conduct. Prince Harry has made it known that, he is not interested in any compensation, but rather was an element of his “campaign to ‘reform’ the British press.”
Green continued to say that, Harry’s action against MGN was “wildly overstated and substantially baseless.” MGN acknowledged that, a private investigator was once hired to obtain unjustified evidence about Harry at the beginning of the trial in May.
It did specify that, the maximum amount of damages he might be awarded for such offense could be 500 pounds. The trial however, is scheduled to end on Friday, and Green is expected to start presenting MGN’s final submissions later this afternoon.
