Prince Harry obtained, Friday, December 15, the conviction of the editor of the British tabloid Daily Mirror to pay him 140,600 pounds sterling (or approximately 164,000 euros) in damages for articles resulting from the hacking of telephone messages.
The judge estimated that fifteen of the thirty-three disputed articles retained in the procedure were the result of hacking into the messaging system of the youngest son of King Charles III 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”. He also highlighted ” distress “ that Harry suffered “due to the illegal activity directed against him and his relatives”.
Prince Harry welcomed, through his lawyer, this conviction which is, according to him, a ” warning “ addressed to the tabloid press. “The judgment rendered today vindicates me and gives me confidence”declared on behalf of the Duke of Sussex his lawyer, David Sherborne, in a very virulent press release. “This is not just about hacking: it is about a systemic practice of illegal and abhorrent behavior, followed by cover-ups and destruction of evidence”he added, saying he and his family were victims in recent years of “defamation”, of “intimidation tactics” and of “journalistic vendetta”.
Use of private detectives
During the trial, the youngest son of King Charles III testified for eight hours spread over two court days in 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 a 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 of harassment against his wife, Meghan, and of having responsibility for the poor relations he has with his family.
Harry criticized the publisher of Daily Mirror hacking and illegal collection of information, including through the use of private detectives.
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 thirty-three articles published between 1996 and 2009 retained in the procedure – notably the use of a private detective regarding a nightclub outing in 2004, and had apologized to the prince.