This is huge! Prince Harry has won his phone hacking case against Mirror Group Newspapers!
The decision was made on Friday morning in London’s High Court. The Duke of Sussex wasn’t there in person, supposedly due to the short notice of the ruling, but he is believed to have watched via video feed, per his lawyer via People. As for the verdict?
Justice Fancourt declared that 15 of the 33 articles at the center of Harry’s lawsuit “were the product of phone hacking of his mobile phone or the mobile phones of his associates, or the product of other unlawful information-gathering.” Because of this, he was awarded £140,000 ($180,000) in damages. Whoa!
Related: Meghan Could Be Dropped By Agents Because Of ‘Royal Racists’ Debacle?!
The articles that were found to have been written thanks to illegally-obtained info mostly involved his relationships with exes Chelsy Davy and television presenter Caroline Flack, the BBC noted. The judge stated that MGN (owner of Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and The Sunday People) used “extensive” phone hacking from 2006 to 2011, with unlawful methods being an “integral part of the system” at the time. Where Harry’s concerned, Fancourt believed his phone was hacked “to a modest extent” from the end of 2003 to April 2009, according to The Guardian.
In a statement read aloud outside of the court, Harry’s attorney, David Sherborne, said on his behalf:
“Today is a great day for truth as well as accountability. The court has ruled that unlawful and criminal activities were carried out at all three Mirror group newspaper titles — the Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and the People — on a habitual and widespread basis for over more than a decade. This case is not just about hacking – it is about a systemic practice of unlawful and appalling behaviour, followed by cover-ups and destruction of evidence, the shocking scale of which can only be revealed through these proceedings.”
Meghan Markle’s hubby went on:
“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’s a worthwhile price to pay. The mission continues.”
The 39-year-old then called for police and prosecuting authorities to “investigate bringing charges against the company and those who have broken the law.”
By the way, one of the people he wants to be held accountable is Piers Morgan, who worked at Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004. Well, damn. That would surely be good revenge since the journalist was the one to reveal the names of the alleged royal racists on a mainstream scale after their identities were leaked in the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie‘s book Endgame! Plus he has a long history of being nasty about the Suits alum.
As of now, it’s hard to know if anyone will bring charges against them, but the judge seemed confident they knew they were in the wrong. He went on to declare there “can be no doubt” that the former editor and other senior editors and lawyers at the newspaper group knew about the illegal information gathering, The Guardian reported.
A spokesperson for Mirror Group Newspapers has already released a statement accepting the verdict, telling outlets:
“We welcome today’s judgment that gives the business the necessary clarity to move forward from events that took place many years ago. Where historical wrongdoing took place, we apologise unreservedly, have taken full responsibility and paid appropriate compensation.”
According to the BBC, they estimate the company has already spent around £100m on damages and legal costs over previous hacking cases. When Harry first filed his lawsuit in 2019, MGN denied the allegations. The ex-royal was one of four “representative” claimants chosen as “test cases” from a larger group of high-profile folks suing the publisher. So, this ruling could be very good for others moving forward.
The father of two has also taken up legal action against News Group Newspapers and Associated Newspapers for similar claims, and he’s not doing as well in some of those cases. So, the court battle isn’t over. Thoughts? Let us know (below)!
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