Prince Harry has just been awarded a substantial win in the phone hacking case he took against the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).
London’s High Court found MGN guilty of unlawful practices and awarded the prince substantial damages that reached over half a million dollars.
Mirror Group Newspapers
Prince Harry has been locked in a legal battle with the British media company Mirror Group Newspaper over the past few years.
Allegations brought against the company behind the British newspaper, The Daily Mirror, suggest they hacked the Prince’s phone on numerous occasions between 2003 and 2009.
Prince Wins Big in Court
Harry was first awarded around £140,000 in December after a judge ruled he was a victim of hacking.
According to Forbes, this payout came after Justice Timothy Fancourt’s verdict surmised that over 15 articles published by the MGN group had used information gathered illegally from Harry’s phone.
Prince Awarded Further Damages
On Feb. 9, Prince Harry’s representatives returned to court, and he was awarded further damages in the hacking case.
London’s High Court’s final verdict found Harry was the victim of over 140 cases of illicit news gathering. MGM will be forced to pay around £400,000 to the British prince, according to Harry’s attorney, David Sherborne (via The Associated Press).
Harry Pleased with the Outcome
Speaking on the situation in the wake of the court’s decision, Harry believes justice was served.
The prince acknowledged he was now vindicated yet went on to say, “Our mission continues.”
Exposing the Corruption in Media
Harry’s lawyer went on to relay a short message from the prince once outside of the High Court’s building in London.
“We have uncovered and proved the shockingly dishonest way in which the Mirror acted for so many years and then sought to conceal the truth,” wrote the prince.
Directs Attention Toward Piers Morgan
Throughout the saga, Prince Harry directed his attention toward Piers Morgan on several occasions.
Morgan worked for The Daily Mirror as an editor during the era in which the phone hack occurred. Yet, he has repeatedly denied knowing anything of the illicit scheme.
Morgan ‘Knew Perfectly Well What Was Going On’
Speaking about Morgan, Harry said he “knew perfectly well what was going on,” according to The Associated Press.
“His contempt for the court’s ruling and his continued attacks ever since demonstrate why it was so important to obtain a clear and detailed judgment,” the prince continued.
The Prince Aiming for The Sun and The Daily Mail Next
While Harry’s saga with MGN appears to be reaching its end, his war against the media is far from over.
The Duke of Sussex still has open cases with other British newspapers, including The Daily Mail and The Sun, centered on similar illegal activities.
Harry Wasn’t the Only Victim of Hacking
Prince Harry was the only victim of MGN’s elaborate scheme to obtain information in an illicit manner.
Other British celebrities, including actors Nikkie Sanderson and Michael Turner, were also victims.
MGN Releases Statement
In total, the media company will be forced to pay a hefty legal bill of over £2 million to the victims of the case.
A statement released by MGN read, “We welcomed December’s judgment that gave the business the necessary clarity to move forward from events that took place many years ago” (via Deadline).
Media Company Takes Full Responsibility
During its statement, MGN took full responsibility for the crimes in the wake of the High Court’s decision.
“Where historical wrongdoing took place, we apologize unreservedly, have taken full responsibility and paid compensation. We are pleased to have reached this agreement, which gives our business further clarity to move forward from events that took place many years ago and for which we have apologized,” they wrote.
