Prince Harry heads to High Court to fight MGN over phone hacking
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The Duke of Sussex has stoked a political firestorm by blasting the government and the press as “rock bottom” as he gives evidence in his landmark case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror at London’s High Court.
In his 55-page witness statement, Prince Harry took aim at the tabloid press more broadly when he asked: “How much more blood will be on their fingers before someone can stop this madness?”
The Duke of Sussex is suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, alleging that journalists at its titles, which also include the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, were involved in methods such as phone hacking, so-called “blagging ” or obtain information by deception. , and use of private investigators for illicit activities.
The Duke was expected to appear in court on Monday but is now testifying on Tuesday, becoming the first prince to appear in court for 130 years.
It comes as it has been revealed that Harry is fighting on another front as his US visa is set to be challenged in court after he admitted taking illegal drugs in his memoir Spare.
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Prince Harry’s cross-examination begins
Andrew Green KC, representing MGN, began his cross-examination of the Duke by saying: “I’m sure your legal team has explained to you how this process works.
“One of the things I’m going to do is take you through various newspaper articles, some of which are the subject of your claim. I fully appreciate that you’ve lived through a lifetime of tabloid intrusion and having to ask questions on such matters it can only be unpleasant.”
The lawyer asked the duke to tell him if he wanted to adjourn “at any time or for any reason” and also to tell him if he found any questions “objectionable”.
Green then apologized to Duke in person on behalf of MGN, repeating to him the publisher’s “unreserved apology” at the start of the trial for the illegal activity case.
He said: “MGN apologizes unreservedly for this, it should never have happened and it will never happen again.”
Mr Green told Harry that if the judge found MGN to be responsible for any further acts of illegal information gathering, “you will be entitled to and receive a wider apology”.
Tara CobhamJune 6, 2023 10:53 am
Prince Harry arrives at the High Court
The Duke of Sussex has arrived at the High Court to testify in his lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers.
Harry arrived outside the Rolls Building in central London at 9.36am in a black Range Rover, dressed in a black suit.
He entered the building without answering reporters’ questions before going through security checks inside.
Prince Harry heads to High Court to fight MGN over phone hacking
(Reuters)
Prince Harry has arrived at the Court and is expected to take the witness stand at around 10.30am.
(Getty)
Tara CobhamJune 6, 2023 09:39
“How much more blood will be on their fingers before someone stops this madness”
Prince Harry has made a scathing indictment of the tabloid press in general.
“How much more blood will stain his typing fingers before someone can stop this madness,” he writes in his 55-page witness statement, clarifying that this scathing remark is aimed at the tabloid press more broadly.
Tara CobhamJune 6, 2023 11:06 am
Alleged illegal actions by MGN journalists ‘affected every area of my life’ – Harry
In his written evidence, the Duke of Sussex said the alleged illegal actions of MGN journalists “affected every area of my life”.
He said: “My voicemails would include incredibly private and sensitive information about my relationships, my operational security and that of my family, my work both in the military and as a senior member of the royal family, and also whatever plans I had made. for my free time, including vacations and downtime with friends. They would also include incredibly private and sensitive information about those I interacted with.”
Harry added: “I remember hearing a voicemail for the first time that wasn’t ‘new’ on several occasions, but I don’t remember thinking it was particularly unusual – I’d just put it down to maybe a technical glitch, as mobile phones they were still relatively new back then, or even having too many drinks the night before and forgetting I’d heard it.”
The Duke said he now believes both his voicemails and those of his associates were hacked by MGN and that he also used “other illegal means” to obtain private information.
He continued: The fact that the defendant’s reporters and those appearing on his behalf were listening to private and sensitive voicemails at the level of detail discussed in this statement rather suggests that they could have heard anything and everything.
“Not only does this create a tremendous amount of distress, but it presents very real safety concerns not only for me, but for everyone around me. I would say his actions affected every area of my life”.
Tara CobhamJune 6, 2023 11:00 a.m
The late Queen secretly sent an aide to Harry to ask for support in dealing with the press
In his witness statement, the Duke described how, when he was on a sabbatical trip to Australia in 2003, his grandmother, the late Queen, secretly sent one of her aides to stay nearby without him knowing in case he needed support because of the press. coverage
“I only found out recently that the Queen had asked one of her Assistant Private Secretaries to fly to Noosa and take a house down the road from where I was staying, unbeknownst to me,” Harry said.
“She was concerned about the extent of my travel coverage and wanted someone she knew to be nearby, in case she needed support.”
Harry added: “Every time I got off a plane or jumped into a car, I was looking in the rear-view mirror, so to speak. I came to expect that someone hiding in a bush somewhere would follow and “I was hiding. Everything felt like I was under 24-hour surveillance.”
Tara CobhamJune 6, 2023 10:59 am
“I have experienced the hostility of the press since I was born”
Under questioning by Andrew Green KC, for MGN, the Duke of Sussex said: “I have experienced hostility from the press since I was born.”
Harry was asked about his attitude towards the media and was asked if there was a “long-standing” hostility.
“Yes, that is right,” said the duke.
Mr Green asked whether this hostility had predated the discovery that some media outlets had used illegal methods.
The duke replied, “Yes… because the illegal methods were hidden from me as well as everyone else.”
He added that it “definitely surprised me.”
Tara CobhamJune 6, 2023 10:56 am
Tabloid behavior ‘utterly vile’ – Harry’s witness statement
In his witness statement, the Duke of Sussex said it was “no secret that I have had and continue to have a very difficult relationship with the UK tabloid press”.
He continued: “In my experience as a member of the royal family, the tabloid press assigns each of us to a specific role. You start as a blank canvas as they determine what kind of person you are and what kind of problems and temptations you can have. Then they start encouraging you to play the role or roles that suit them best and that sells as many newspapers as possible, especially if you’re the “replacement” for the “heir”.
“So you’re the ‘playboy prince,’ the ‘failure,’ the ‘dropout,’ or in my case, the ‘thicko,’ the ‘cheat,’ the ‘underage drinker,’ the ‘irresponsible drug user ‘, the list goes on.
“As a teenager and in my 20s, I ended up feeling like I was playing into a lot of the headlines and stereotypes that they wanted to pin me down mostly because I thought that if they were printing this garbage about me and people believed it, I might as well.” do the crime,” so to speak.
“It was a downward spiral, in which the tabloids were constantly trying to persuade me, a ‘damaged’ young man, to do something stupid that would make a good story and sell lots of papers.
“Looking back now, this behavior on his part is completely despicable.”
Tara CobhamJune 6, 2023 10:55 am
Prince Harry has sworn in as a witness
The Duke of Sussex has sworn as a witness.
Holding a Bible in his right hand as he stood up, Harry repeated after a court clerk the oath: “I swear by God Almighty that the evidence I give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
David Sherborne, the Duke’s lawyer, asked Harry to confirm that his preferred way of being addressed, after being called ‘Your Royal Highness’, is Prince Harry, to which Harry replied ‘yes’ .
The lawyer then asked Harry to confirm that the contents of his witness statement were true and contained his signature.
Tara CobhamJune 6, 2023 10:34 am
By the time Harry arrived at the High Court
The Duke of Sussex arrives at the High Court to give evidence in his lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers
(PA)
Harry arrived outside the Rolls Building in central London at 9.36am in a black Range Rover, dressed in a black suit.
(EPA)
The duke entered the building without answering reporters’ questions before going through security checks inside
(AP)
Tara CobhamJune 6, 2023 10:26 am
King Charles in Romania without “no wifi, television or radio”, as the son testifies
King Charles III is currently in Romania without wifi, TV or radio as his son prepares to take the witness box, it is understood.
The monarch arrived in the country on Friday for an annual trip to her holiday home, royal expert Jennie Bond told Good Morning Britain last week, which has no Wi-Fi, TV or radio.
Her Majesty has a long history with the country, where she owns at least ten properties; his first was a Saxon house in the village of Viscri in 2006.
It is understood the king will visit a stripped-down former farmhouse in Zalanpatak, while Queen Camilla will not accompany her husband.
Tara CobhamJune 6, 2023 10:22 am
