Prince Harry And Elton John Appear In Court Against British Tabloids
Image: Elton John and Prince Harry
Prince Harry and Elton John appeared at the High Court on Monday, March 27, as part of legal proceedings against Associated Newspapers.
The four-day preliminary hearing revolves around alleged phone tapping, intercepting voicemail messages, obtaining private information, and other breaches of privacy.
The Claimants Each Claim They Were The Victim Of Numerous Unlawful Acts
Harry and John, along with John’s husband David Furnish, and actors Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, are among the people that allege unlawful information was collected by Associated Newspapers.
According to the lawyer representing the claimants, David Sherborne, “The claimants each claim that in different ways they were the victim of numerous unlawful acts carried out by the defendant, or by those acting on the instructions of its newspapers, the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.”
Sherborne went on to say that these unlawful acts include, “illegally intercepting voicemail messages; listening into live landline calls; obtaining private information, such as itemised phone bills or medical records, by deception.”
It also included, “using private investigators to commit these unlawful information gathering acts on their behalf and even commissioning the breaking and entry into private property.”
‘Deprived Of Important Aspects Of His Teenage Years’
Sherborne said that Prince Harry was “troubled that, through Associated’s unlawful acts, he was largely deprived of important aspects of his teenage years.”
“Friends were lost or cut off as a result and everyone became a ‘suspect’ since he was misled by the way that the articles were written into believing that those close to him were the source of this information being provided to Associated’s newspapers.”
“The claimant regards Associated’s unlawful acts to amount to a major betrayal given promises made by the media to improve its conduct following the tragic and untimely death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.”
Mortified To Consider All Their Conversations…Were Tapped’
When it came to John and Furnish, Sherborne told the court that their phones were tapped on the orders of Associated Newspapers.
According to Sherborne, the couple was “mortified to consider all their conversations, some of which were very personal indeed, were tapped, taped, packaged and consumed as a commercial product for journalists and unknown others to pick over regardless of whether or not they were published.”
A judge, after proceedings are complete, will determine whether the case will go any further.
