A UK High Court judge has dismissed claims of phone hacking, bugging, and burglary brought by Prince Harry, Baroness Lawrence, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, and Sadie Frost against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. Mr. Justice Nicklin, in a detailed judgment, found the allegations to be without merit after a forensic examination of the evidence.
The judge repeatedly favored the testimony of Associated Newspapers' journalists, describing them as reliable and credible, while finding the evidence from some claimants to be inconsistent or unconvincing. Many of the most severe allegations were struck out before the trial commenced.
Prince Harry had alleged that 15 articles concerning him stemmed from unlawful activities, including phone hacking. The judge, however, found these claims unsupported. He accepted the evidence of Royal Editor Rebecca English, who reported on several articles, noting her as an "impressive and honest witness." Allegations against Ms. English regarding flight details of Prince Harry's former girlfriend were dismissed, and the judge criticized the claimants' lawyers for introducing unsupported allegations of phone hacking against her during the trial.
Sir Elton John and David Furnish claimed information about their newborn son was obtained through "false pretences." The judge ruled that the publisher demonstrated a credible and legitimate sourcing route for the key information, accepting evidence that some details came from confidential sources. The judge also noted that Sir Elton, like other claimants, "had limited evidence to give" on the core matters in dispute.
Baroness Lawrence claimed crime reporter Stephen Wright engaged in phone tapping, bugging, and covert surveillance. Mr. Justice Nicklin rejected these claims, finding Mr. Wright's explanation for his reporting, which relied on police contacts, to be coherent and plausible. The judge characterized Mr. Wright as an "honest witness."
Elizabeth Hurley alleged "monstrous" conduct, including the use of "sticky window microphones." However, she acknowledged having no direct knowledge of how information might have been shared with the press and conceded that a story about her could have been provided by her ex-partner. The judge found her allegations relied heavily on unproven claims about a private investigator and stated she "has limited evidence to give on the contentious matters in dispute."
Sadie Frost attributed the breakdown of her marriage to actor Jude Law partly to stories she believed originated from hacking. The court heard evidence that information was provided by a source within Ms. Frost's social circle or family. The judge accepted that all 11 articles complained about were legitimately sourced. He also noted that Ms. Frost might have been time-barred from bringing her case due to legal limitations.
The judgment also addressed allegations made by former Minister Sir Simon Hughes concerning phone hacking. The judge found that Sir Simon failed to prove that a former associate editor at the Mail on Sunday knew that information obtained from a phone hacker had been passed to him. Throughout the proceedings, the judge emphasized the professional conduct of the journalists involved, stating, "It's not who I am, it's not who the Daily Mail are," a sentiment that resonated with the court's findings.