Prince Harry takes swipe at Piers Morgan as he’s awarded ‘substantial’ damages in Mirror phone hacking case

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Prince Harry has taken a swipe at Piers Morgan as he has been awarded “substantial” damages in his phone hacking case in opposition to the writer of the Daily Mirror.

The Duke of Sussex criticised Piers Morgan’s “continued attacks” in opposition to him after he reached a settlement with Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) on Friday, which incorporates an interim fee in the direction of the prices of £400,000.

In an announcement learn exterior the High Court by his barrister David Sherborne, Harry, 39, mentioned: “In light of this, we call again for the authorities to uphold the rule of law and to prove that no one is above it. That includes Mr Morgan, who as editor knew perfectly well what was going on, as the judge held.”

He added: “His contempt for the court’s ruling and his continued attacks ever since demonstrate why it was so important to obtain a clear and detailed judgment.”

The duke vowed his “mission continues” amid ongoing authorized battles in opposition to the tabloid media, as he believes in the “positive change it will bring for all of us”.

A choose dominated at the identical courtroom in December that Mr Morgan knew about and was concerned in phone hacking when he was editor of the Daily Mirror as the duke received damages of £140,600 in opposition to MGN.

Speaking to reporters exterior his west London dwelling in December, Mr Morgan responded to the ruling: “I want to reiterate, as I’ve consistently said for many years now – I’ve never hacked a phone or told anybody else to hack a phone. And nobody has produced any actual evidence to prove that I did.”

He insisted he had “zero knowledge” of the one article revealed in his time as editor of the Daily Mirror which will have concerned unlawful info gathering, earlier than launching a scathing assault on Harry. Mr Morgan branded the duke “ruthless, greedy and hypocritical”, as he accused Harry of attempting “to destroy the British monarchy”.

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It comes after a a trial final June, in which the duke grew to become the primary royal to step contained in the witness field, the choose discovered that 15 out of 33 articles into account had been the product of illegal info gathering.

They included articles about his relationship with former girlfriend Chelsy Davy, a dialogue together with his brother about assembly with Princess Diana’s former butler and allegations that he had smoked hashish.

An extra 115 articles have been in his declare, which can have been the topic of an extra trial. However, the duke’s lawyer David Sherborne confirmed on Friday {that a} settlement had been reached, with the writer attributable to make an interim fee of £400,000.

The courtroom had beforehand discovered that phone hacking grew to become “widespread and habitual” at MGN titles in the late Nineties and was practised “even to some extent” in the course of the Leveson Inquiry into press requirements in 2011.

In the newest ruling, Mr Justice Fancourt mentioned the writer ought to pay so-called “generic” authorized prices to the greater than 100 individuals presently concerned in the authorized motion.

The choose mentioned: “On the generic issues, there can be little doubt that the claimants were successful. In this unusual case, justice is only done by awarding the claimants their costs of the generic issues.”

In December, the 39-year-old duke mentioned his partially profitable case in opposition to MGN was “a great day for truth, as well as accountability” and referred to as on the police to analyze the writer of the Daily and Sunday Mirror and The People.

The newest improvement in Harry’s ongoing authorized battle in opposition to the tabloid media comes simply days after his flying go to to the UK to see King Charles, who introduced his most cancers prognosis on Monday.

He loved a 45-minute assembly together with his father on Tuesday after travelling from Los Angeles to London, and returned on Wednesday with out seeing his estranged brother Prince William.

The two have a well-publicised fractured relationship following Harry and his spouse Meghan’s resolution to go away for the US, as nicely as a number of grievances shared by the couple as to their alleged therapy at the arms of the royal household.

At a listening to final month, the High Court in London heard that the group of people that sued the Mirror writer have been in search of fee of £1,976,660 from MGN in the direction of the authorized prices of bringing “generic” allegations to courtroom.

Last month, Harry threatened to pursue a second trial concerning the additional 115 articles which kind a part of his declare, after solely a pattern of 33 have been chosen for the trial final yr.

Roger Mallalieu KC, for MGN, instructed the courtroom the writer made presents to settle with Harry however the phrases have been confidential.

The barrister mentioned in written submissions that the group suing the writer had solely seen “partial success on the trial issues” and those that misplaced their claims ought to pay their “respective share” of the so-called “generic” prices.

Harry’s case was heard alongside related claims introduced by actor Michael Turner, who is understood professionally as Michael Le Vell and is most well-known for taking part in Kevin Webster in Coronation Street, actress Nikki Sanderson and Fiona Wightman, the ex-wife of comic Paul Whitehouse.

Claims introduced by Ms Sanderson and Ms Wightman have been dismissed by Mr Justice Fancourt as a result of they have been made too late, regardless of the choose discovering that a few of their complaints have been proved.

An MGN spokesperson mentioned: “We welcomed December’s judgment that gave 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 compensation.”

They added: “We are pleased to have reached this agreement, which gives our business further clarity to move forward from events that took place many years ago and for which we have apologised.”