Prince Harry and a list of other celebrities are taking the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) to court for unlawful information gathering.
The high-profile individuals are seeking compensation over allegations that MGN sourced personal information about them for their stories through illegal means, including phone hacking, deception, and hiring private investigators.
Claims brought by four people, including the Duke of Sussex, are being heard in a civil trial as “representative” cases over a span of six to seven weeks, with the findings potentially affecting the outcome of other claims.
MGN is largely contesting the claims brought against it but has offered apologies to some of the claimants.
But who exactly is suing the Mirror and why? Here is everything we know.
Prince Harry
The Duke of Sussex appeared in High Court in early June and is seeking damages. He alleges that about 140 articles published between 1996 and 2010 included information that had been collected unlawfully, and 33 of these have been selected to be considered at the trial.
In his witness statement, Harry shared: “I remember finding it very hard to trust anyone, which led to bouts of depression and paranoia.”
The lawyers for MGN have said that the publisher “unreservedly apologises” to the Duke for one instance of illegal information gathering through a private investigator, saying he is entitled to “appropriate compensation” for it, but it denies the rest of his claims.
The case was a historic one, as Prince Harry became the first senior royal for more than a century to give evidence from the witness box.
Nikki Sanderson
Sanderson has claimed that she experienced abuse in the street following the “false insinuations” published by the MGN group. She is claiming damages for 37 articles published in the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and People newspapers between 1999 and 2009. Her claims suggest that the newspapers used private information from her mobile phone voicemails and paid private investigators.
MGN has “unreservedly” apologised to the Coronation Street star, and admitted that more than four payments were made to private investigators, which it admits are evidence of instructions to illegally obtain personal information.
MGN, however, has denied that they hacked the star’s phone.
Fiona Wightman
Comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Wightman says she suffered “completely inhumane” tabloid intrusion during the breakdown of her marriage and when she was battling cancer.
She claims that an MGN private investigator tried to “blag” her private medical details when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and that MGN journalists went to her elderly parents’ home to find stories about her, which left her feeling “totally invaded and confused”.
MGN has admitted using a private investigator unlawfully on six occasions, although it denies any voicemail interception of Ms Wightman.
Andrew Green KC, for MGN, earlier told the court the company “unreservedly apologises” for the unlawful activity against her, adding that it “shouldn’t have happened and it won’t again”.
Michael Turner (Michael Le Vell)
Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has alleged that he was accused of being a “mole” by fellow cast members due to MGN’s phone hacking.
He believes that MGN journalists accessed voicemail messages he had left on an associate’s phone.
MGN denies the claims and says there is no evidence of voicemail interception or unlawful information gathering relating to him.
The other stars who are suing Mirror Group Newspapers are:
- Cheryl
- Ricky Tomlinson
- Ian Wright
- The estate of George Michael
