The Duke of Sussex is one of a number of high-profile figures bringing claims against the Mirror Group over alleged unlawful information gathering. Photo / AP
The Duke of Sussex is one of a number of high-profile figures bringing claims against the Mirror Group over alleged unlawful information gathering. Photo / AP
The Duke of Sussex is expected to give evidence at a High Court trial against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over allegations of phone hacking, it emerged on Wednesday.
The Duke’s claim involves 25 private investigators and 148 news articles published between 1996 and 2010.
It will form one of the central test cases at a six to seven-week trial due to begin on May 9 - the first working day after the coronation bank holiday weekend.
Prince Harry is one of a number of high-profile figures bringing damages claims against MGN over alleged unlawful information gathering at its titles.
The court heard that he would be the only witness in his case. It is likely that he will have to be cross examined on his witness statement by MGN lawyers.
Other celebrities involved in the case include former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy, the estate of the late singer George Michael, ex-footballer and television presenter Ian Wright and actor Ricky Tomlinson.
On Wednesday, Justice Fancourt heard from lawyers as he considered the scope of the trial and which claimants should be selected as “test cases”.
The others are former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson, comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Wightman and actor Michael Turner.
Model and actor Paul Sculfor’s claim could also be included at the trial if both sides agree.
Prince Harry’s claim involves 25 private investigators
David Sherborne, representing the claimants, revealed Prince Harry’s claim “covers the largest number of private investigators”, with 25 of the main private investigators who are alleged to have engaged in unlawful activity in the overall case.
The court heard that lawyers had identified 148 articles published about the royal between 1996 and 2010 which allegedly used information obtained through unlawful means, including phone hacking.
The judge said the number of articles to be considered at trial should be reduced to about 33.
He said Harry’s case was also one which “will not settle”, on the basis of what he had read and heard in court, adding: “So it will have to be tried at some stage and might as well be tried now.”
Former editor of the Daily MirrorPiers Morgan, one of the Sussexes’ most vocal critics, may also be dragged into the case.
Piers Morgan was the former editor of The Mirror and denies any wrongdoing, particularly when it comes phone hacking. Photo / Getty Images
Morgan edited the tabloid from 1996 until 2004 and has always strongly denied any knowledge of phone hacking.
Ex-footballer and television presenter Ian Wright, Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson and Chris Tarrant’s ex-wife Ingrid Dupre will be reserve representative claims in the event one of the others settles before trial.
MGN argues some claims brought too late
MGN is contesting the claims, arguing some have been brought too late.
The publisher of titles including The Mirror, The Sunday Mirror and The Sunday People, MGN has previously settled a number of claims against it in relation to unlawful information gathering, as has News Group Newspapers (NGN) – the publisher of the now-defunct News Of The World and The Sun – in a separate ongoing legal action.
An earlier trial of representative claims, including those brought by former Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati, ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne and actress Sadie Frost, was heard in 2015 and is the only trial which has taken place during the long-running litigation.
A raft of other cases have been settled since by MGN and NGN. The phone-hacking scandal led to the closure of the News Of The World in 2011.
The Duke is bringing two separate legal actions against Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of The Mail, The Mail On Sunday and MailOnline.
It was announced on Wednesday that a hearing in one of his claims, over The Mail On Sunday’s coverage of his judicial review against the Home Office about his security arrangements, will be heard at the High Court on March 17.
Prince Harry has relentlessly slammed the British press, most recently in his memoir Spare and in a number of television interviews. Photo / AP
A preliminary hearing in a separate legal action by Harry over alleged unlawful information gathering at ANL titles, which is being brought alongside other high-profile figures including Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Elton John, has been set for March 27.
