Lawsuit targets Daily Mail publisher

Prince Harry and a group of high-profile figures have accused the publisher of the Daily Mail of conducting “systematic and sustained” unlawful information gathering, including the use of private investigators to obtain sensitive material.

In a witness statement submitted to the High Court, the Duke of Sussex said the alleged intrusion caused a “massive strain” on his personal relationships and left him feeling “paranoid beyond belief,” describing the experience as “terrifying” for those close to him. He attended court on Monday for the opening of the trial against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

The claimants include Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered teen Stephen Lawrence, Sir Elton John and David Furnish, actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, and former Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes. Several were present in court as proceedings began.

According to submissions from the claimants’ legal team, ANL allegedly used illicit methods such as intercepting voicemails, listening to live calls, and “blagging” private data including medical records and itemised phone bills. Barrister David Sherborne said the practices involved “every significant editorial desk” across the publisher over two decades.

Sherborne told the court there was “indisputable evidence” that journalists and senior executives commissioned and approved the use of unlawfully obtained information, arguing: “This was no clean ship.”

ANL has denied any wrongdoing, previously dismissing the allegations as “lurid” and “preposterous.” In its written submissions, the publisher said claims of widespread unlawful activity were “simply untrue” and suggested the legal action was driven by a “co-ordinated strategy” among prominent claimants.

The claimants argue the conduct occurred between 1993 and 2011, and in some cases continued into 2018. They identified 14 individuals alleged to have carried out private investigative activities on behalf of the newspapers. Sherborne also alleged that significant records had been destroyed, describing “mass” deletions of emails prior to 2004, which ANL said were the result of a routine deletion policy.

Prince Harry’s claims concern 14 articles he says were obtained through unlawful methods. He is expected to give evidence later this week. The case, filed in October 2022, survived an attempt by ANL to have it dismissed as out of time.

The trial could last up to 10 weeks, with legal costs estimated to reach £38m.