Prince Harry, along with a hundred others, has filed a lawsuit against MGN, accusing them of phone-hacking and illegal information-gathering that took place between 1991 and 2011. They allege that senior editors and executives at MGN were not only aware of these illicit activities but also sanctioned them.
However, MGN, which is owned by Reach, vehemently denies these allegations, claiming there is no evidence to support the claims. In a stunning twist, Prince Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, has revealed that MGN failed to call crucial witnesses during the trial, one of whom is none other than Piers Morgan, the former editor of the Daily Mirror and a well-known TV presenter.
The omission of such key witnesses has dealt a severe blow to MGN's defense against the accusations of unlawful conduct by its tabloid newspapers. The claimants had hoped to have the judge consider whether Morgan and other high-ranking figures were involved in these illegal acts. Surprisingly, MGN's lawyers considered it unnecessary to call Morgan as a witness, dismissing the allegations as irrelevant.
Sherborne expressed his disappointment, stating that MGN's failure to call Morgan and other journalists "leaves enormous holes, we say fatal holes, in the defendant's case." Instead of taking the witness stand, Morgan opted to make comments outside the courtroom, a strategic move that has raised eyebrows and sparked speculation about its implications for the defense.
The trial took an extraordinary turn when Prince Harry himself became the first senior royal to testify in court in over 130 years. He passionately asserted his belief that phone-hacking was rampant at MGN's publications and expressed his hope that the court would recognize him as a victim of these invasive practices.
In their submissions, MGN's lawyers attempted to undermine Prince Harry's motives, claiming that his legal action against the publisher was not primarily about compensation but rather part of his "campaign to 'reform' the British press." They suggested that his frustration with the media fueled his pursuit of justice.
While MGN did admit during the trial that a private investigator had been hired to unlawfully gather evidence about Prince Harry on one occasion, they argued that he should receive no more than £500 in damages. However, this admission alone may not be sufficient to sway the court in their favor.
As we eagerly await the judge's ruling, the courtroom drama surrounding Prince Harry's lawsuit against MGN continues to captivate the world. What are your thoughts on this news? Please share your opinions in the comments and let me know what you think.
