Prince Harry is taking legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mirror. (AP)
The High Court trial between Prince Harry and the publisher of the Daily Mirror over claims of phone hacking has finished its third week.
Today, 26 May, saw Mirror Group Newspapers’ ex-head of legal Marcus Partington deny referring to a former Mirror journalist as ‘London’s best criminal’ because he was a phone-hacker.
He also admitted writing a 2007 note in which he said MGN had “no choice but to settle” an employment claim with another former Mirror journalist who, the note said, had the company “over a barrel”. The journalist had also accused journalists at all MGN’s titles of being involved in unlawful activities.
Partington also said he was “very angry” over an allegation that he had tried to “stand up” a story which was based on UIG, by getting an ex-footballer’s phone records disclosed through an injunction litigation in 2001.
On 25 May, Paul Vickers – formerly MGN’s group legal director – claimed he had asked 43 editors and senior journalists to confirm they had not engaged in UIG after the phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World had broken in 2011. “They lied to me, clearly lied to me”, he said.
The Duke of Sussex is one of four people – alongside former soap actress Nikki Sanderson, comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Wightman and actor Michael Turner – bringing claims of unlawful information gathering against Mirror Group Newspapers
MGN has said in a statement about the litigation: “Where historical wrongdoing has taken place, we have made admissions, take full responsibility and apologise unreservedly, but we will vigorously defend against allegations of wrongdoing where our journalists acted lawfully.”
Yahoo News will be keeping you up to date with all the big breaking news and major talking points from the trial, which is due to last up to seven weeks.
Read the key updates from the first three days of the trial below:
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/prince-harry-trial-live-piers-171822898.html
