Overview
- Harry attended the opening at London’s Royal Courts of Justice as the case against Associated Newspapers Limited began with opening statements.
- Plaintiffs including Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Doreen Lawrence and Simon Hughes allege Mail titles used private investigators to plant bugs, intercept calls and obtain medical and bank records mainly from 1993 to 2011.
- Harry is reported to be scheduled for a full day in the witness box on Thursday, with further testimony from other plaintiffs to follow during the nine-week schedule.
- The claim relies on payment records and other circumstantial evidence tied to 14 articles, while the plaintiffs say key documents were destroyed; ANL rejects the allegations as unfounded and points to the lack of criminal convictions in this matter.
- A pivotal investigator, Gavin Burrows, has issued contradictory statements and alleged a forged signature on an earlier declaration, leaving a central strand of testimony in dispute.