Prince Harry, along with six other claimants, received a disturbing update on the phone hacking cases against the Daily Mail publisher as a verdict is due to be announced soon.
King Charles’ younger son had claimed that the British tabloid had used illegal and illegal methods to obtain information for their articles. The Duke of Sussex had stressed that none of the people in his close circle would reveal intimate details.
Meanwhile, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Simon Hughes have also given their evidence and testimony during the 10-week trial.
Senior current and former Associated journalists and staff have also given testimony.
However, a key witness in the case, which could be considered a ruling by the verdict, retracted his claims, suggesting that the plaintiffs have been “duped” in the statement on Monday.
Private detective Gavin Burrows appeared in court via video, saying his signatures had been forged on the affidavit saying he “targeted hundreds, possibly thousands, of people”.
Burrows told the court the statement had “nothing to do with me”.
“You have to explain to your claimants how you have been cheated,” he said during an exchange with Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne.
“This thing is based on a bunch of lies.”
Harry’s lawyer argued that Burrows is only changing his statement because the private investigator had a row with journalist Graham Johnson.
But Burrows remained adamant that “it’s all fiction”.
He told the court he had never worked for or been paid by Associated.
The verdict is expected to be handed down later this month, after the closing statements have been made.
