Prince Harry’s phone hacked: UK court announce $180,000 in return of damages
- Prince Harry won over £140,000 in his lawsuit against the Daily Mirror publisher.
- Private investigators were found to be integral to the system, gathering information unlawfully on Harry.
- The newspapers violated Prince Harry’s privacy and used unlawful methods of information gathering.
Prince Harry achieved a significant victory in his groundbreaking phone hacking case on Friday. The case was against the publisher of the Daily Mirror. In the first of several lawsuits against British tabloids to go to trial in his ongoing battles with the press, he was awarded over £140,000 (approximately $180,000).
Justice Timothy Fancourt in the High Court found phone hacking was “widespread and habitual.” At Mirror Group Newspapers over many years private investigators “were an integral part of the system” to gather information unlawfully on Harry and his associates. He said executives at the papers were aware of the practice and covered it up.
It was established that the newspapers had violated the privacy of the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry. They were found to have used unlawful methods of information gathering, leading to the production of 15 out of 33 newspaper articles examined during the trial. These articles were considered representative samples from the nearly 150 instances that Prince Harry had cited.
Prince Harry’s overview of the situation:
Prince Harry expressed satisfaction with the ruling, describing it as “vindicating and affirming.” He emphasized that this decision should serve as a cautionary message to other news media outlets employing similar practices. Notably, his statement alluded to upcoming trials involving two tabloid publishers facing lawsuits with nearly identical allegations.
“Today is a great day for truth, as well as accountability,” Harry said in a statement read by his lawyer outside court.
“I’ve been told that slaying dragons will get you burned. But in light of today’s victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest press, it is a worthwhile price to pay. The mission continues.”
Fancourt, the judge in the case, granted damages to the Duke of Sussex for the distress he experienced. Additionally, an extra sum was awarded for aggravated damages, intended to account for the specific emotional harm. This was particularly emphasized because two directors at Trinity Mirror were aware of the activity and failed to intervene.
“Instead of doing so, they turned a blind eye to what was going on and positively concealed it,” Fancourt said. “Had the illegal conduct been stopped, the misuse of the duke’s private information would have ended much sooner.”
Harry had sought £440,000 (approximately $560,000) in his campaign against the British media. This marked a departure from his family’s traditional avoidance of litigation. Notably, it made him the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court in over a century.
Harry accused Mirror Group Newspapers:
During his two-day testimony in June, Harry made headlines as he accused Mirror Group Newspapers of using journalists who intercepted voicemails and hired private investigators. These individuals allegedly used deceptive and unlawful methods to gather information about him and other members of the royal family.
“I believe that phone hacking was at an industrial scale across at least three of the papers at the time,” Harry asserted in the High Court. “That is beyond any doubt.”
Harry tended his testimony “to assume that everything published was the product of voicemail interception,” which was not the case, the judge said. He said Mirror Group was “not responsible for all of the unlawful activity directed at the duke.”
