Sun publisher NGN allegedly ‘tapped landlines’, spied on Prince Harry as a child and Princess Diana, and settled secret claim with Prince William

BREAKING: Court hears allegations that The Sun & News of the World publisher NGN:

Tapped HUGH GRANT’s landline, burgled his properties, used listening devices on his house and car
Intruded into the lives of the late PRINCESS DIANA and PRINCE HARRY, aged just ten
Intruded into the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as recently as 2016
Reveals that News UK sought to avoid these claims progressing by making a deal with the Royal Family
Reveals NGN recently secretly settled a claim by the Duke of Cambridge, PRINCE WILLIAM

Commenting on the allegations, Hacked Off CEO NATHAN SPARKES, said,

“Hugh Grant’s claim raises the prospect that, on top of hacking, blagging and stealing personal information, News UK newspapers were tapping landlines and committing burglary – not to expose the corrupt and powerful – but to generate cheap celebrity stories about the private life of an actor. Not to uphold the public interest, but to sell newspapers and turn a profit.

“Prince Harry alleges that stories published by The Sun, which included sensitive information and were based on unlawfully obtained information, began when he was aged only ten years old, and continued throughout the period his mother died.

“No child, least of all one grieving for their mother, should have their secrets and private information stolen and published for profit in the pages of a national newspaper as these claims allege.

“If these claims succeed, they will show that almost his entire life Prince Harry has been a target of relentless press intrusion, with unlawful behaviour allegedly continuing until as recently as 2016. The claim also alleges that his mother, the late Princess Diana, was affected by unlawful behaviour at The Sun.

“Prince Harry’s claim also reveals that Prince William settled a similar claim against NGN recently, and that the publisher sought to shield itself from claims made by members of the Royal Family by cutting a deal, which delayed family members from progressing their claims in return for the promise of an eventual apology and damages.”

Commenting on NGN’s legal argument, that their denials of hacking should not have been relied upon by Prince Harry or Hugh Grant, and that they should have brought claims sooner:

“It is astonishing that today, NGN should argue that their denials of wrongdoing over the years were worth nothing, and their testimony at the Leveson Inquiry was worth nothing, as they desperately seek to have these claims struck out.”

On the consequences of this hearing:

“Every new allegation of unlawful press behaviour heaps further embarrassment on the Government, which argued in 2018 that the second part of the Leveson Inquiry into press illegality should be cancelled, largely on the basis that – they argued – the facts of the hacking scandal were now known.

“In fact, what we knew in 2018 was just the tip of the iceberg. The determination and courage of Prince Harry, Hugh Grant, other claimants and their legal teams is the only reason that we have learned so much more over the last five years.

“But we will never get to the bottom of the hacking scandal without the judicial inquiry which the victims of press abuse, and the public, were promised. In the interests of justice and public trust in the press, the Government must give up on its five year campaign to suppress Leveson Part Two and re-establish it without further delay.”

Summary

Documents published today reveal the allegations being made against The Sun & News of the World publisher NGN by HUGH GRANT and PRINCE HARRY.

HUGH GRANT’s allegations against NGN include:

The placing of listening and tracking devices on his private property such as his house and car, targeted burglaries at his properties, phone hacking, obtaining private information (including his medical records) by deception or ‘blagging’, and using private investigators to commit these unlawful acts on The Sun’s behalf.

PRINCE HARRY’S allegations against NGN include:

Illegally intercepting voicemail messages, obtaining private information (such as itemised phone bills or medical records) by deception or ‘blagging’ and using private investigators to commit these unlawful information gathering acts on their behalf.
Unlawful activity was allegedly used to obtain highly sensitive information about his late mother’s state of mind, his welfare (aged just 10) and their relationship with each other.
That a Private Investigator in the US called ‘Detective’ Danno Hanks was instructed to obtain private information about his emerging relationship with Meghan, including her (confidential) social security number and other personal information about her family in the full knowledge that it was unlawful, which was used as the basis for two articles in The Sun. This occurred as recently as 2016, Prince Harry alleges.

Prince Harry’s argument includes reference to an agreement reportedly made between the Royal Family and News UK. The terms were that no members of the family would progress their claims against the publisher until the end of the litigation and, in return, the publisher would admit or settle the claims and give an apology. NGN are now arguing that Prince Harry ought to have brought his claim sooner, notwithstanding any such agreement which they themselves made with the Royal Family.