The publisher of the British tabloid “The Mirror” has apologized at the beginning of a trial for hacking the cell phones of celebrities like Prince Harry. There is “some evidence” of the illegal gathering of information, said Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) in documents released today at the start of the court hearing in London. Among the plaintiffs is Britain’s Prince Harry.
The trial is expected to take up to seven weeks in a London court. Harry is expected to testify in June. The younger son of King Charles III. has filed several legal battles against British newspaper publishers since retiring from royal duties and moving to the US. In addition to the “Mirror”, MGN also owns the “Sunday Mirror” and “Sunday People”.
MGN attorney Andrew Green said some lawsuits may be statute-barred. It is about cases in a period between 1990 and 2011.
Piers Morgan in focus
Harry’s attorney, David Sherborne, spoke of illegal intelligence gathering and phone hacking on an “industrial scale” in connection with MGN’s actions. The methods were the “business of journalists,” he said in court. The “barrage of illegal activity” was “authorized and approved by those responsible,” he added. He explicitly named the former “Mirror” editor-in-chief and presenter Piers Morgan. In the past, he has denied any involvement in wiretapping phones.
