Overview
- Seven claimants, including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Doreen Lawrence and former politician Simon Hughes, accuse Associated Newspapers of invading their privacy.
- Plaintiffs allege the publisher used private investigators to intercept cars, access private records and listen to phone calls, largely between 1993 and 2011 with some claims extending to 2018.
- Associated Newspapers rejects the allegations as absurd, argues many stories came from friends or legitimate sources, and maintains a limitation defense the judge will reconsider after evidence.
- Private investigator Gavin Burrows has issued conflicting statements, first describing extensive work for the Mail targeting the claimants and later denying he was hired to do illegal tasks.
- Harry attended the opening day, plans to be present for the first three days, will testify on Thursday, and co-claimants are scheduled to give evidence in the coming weeks.