2023-12-15 14:09:47
Prince Harry obtained, Friday, December 15, the conviction of the editor of the British tabloid Daily Mirror to pay him 140,600 pounds sterling (approximately €163,000) in damages for articles resulting from the hacking of telephone messages.
The judge estimated that 15 of the 33 disputed articles retained in the procedure were the result of hacking into the messaging system of King Charles’s youngest son or his entourage as well as other illicit processes. He believed that Prince Harry’s cell phone messaging had been hacked “to a modest extent”.
The magistrate further highlighted the ” tendency “ of Prince Harry to think that “everything that was published was the product of voicemail interceptions,” because this practice “reigned within the Mirror Group at the time”. But this practice was not “not the only journalistic tool at the time and claims in relation to the other 18 articles do not stand up to careful analysis”. The magistrate also highlighted ” distress “ that Harry suffered “due to the illegal activity directed against him and his relatives”.
A first since Edward VII in 1891
During the trial, the youngest son of King Charles, at odds with the royal family, testified for eight hours spread over two days of hearing last June. It was the first appearance of a member of the royal family at the bar since that of the future Edward VII in 1891 for a libel trial.
The 39-year-old prince feels tenacious resentment towards the tabloid press, which he holds responsible for the death of his mother Diana, chased by paparazzi in Paris in 1997. He also blames it for what he describes as harassment to against Meghan and having responsibility for the bad relations he has with his family.
Harry criticized the publisher of Daily Mirrorand its Sunday and celebrity editions, hacking and illegal collection of information, in particular by using private detectives.
“The mission continues”
The group rejected the vast majority of the accusations, notably contesting any hacking of voicemail boxes. But he had recognized some illicit processes – for five of the 33 articles published between 1996 and 2009 retained in the procedure –, notably the use of a private detective regarding a nightclub outing in 2004, and apologized.
Prince Harry welcomed, Friday, through his lawyer, the conviction of the publisher of the British tabloid The Mirror for phone hacking and promised to continue to defend himself in court in front of the press.
“The judgment rendered today vindicates me and gives me confidence,” declared on behalf of the Duke of Sussex his lawyer David Sherborne before the High Court in London, in a very virulent statement against the practices of the press towards him, concluding: “The mission continues. »
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