Prince Harry driven ‘paranoid beyond belief’ as explosive court trial gets underway

Prince Harry has been at the High Court in London today, where a witness statement was provided from him on the first day of the trial against Associated Newspapers

Prince Harry leaves the High Court in London

Prince Harry was left “paranoid beyond belief” causing a “massive strain” on his personal relationships due to alleged targeting by the publisher of the Daily Mail, the High Court has heard. The Duke of Sussex, who is taking legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over alleged unlawful information gathering, described the “intrusion” as “terrifying” for loved ones, in extracts of his witness statement provided on the first day of the trial in London.

Harry and six other well-known claimants – Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, politician Sir Simon Hughes, and actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley – all allege ANL – the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday – had a practice of “clear systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering” which spanned two decades.

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The group alleges the publisher carried out or commissioned unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, “blagging” private records and accessing private phone conversations.

Harry was “caused great distress by each and every episode of UIG (unlawful information gathering) against him by Associated or on its behalf, and the fruits of that UIG in the 14 unlawful articles of which he complains”, his barrister David Sherborne said in written submissions.

The Duke’s claims against the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday are based on 14 articles by two journalists between 2001 and 2013, written submissions say.

Mr Sherborne added: “It is evident from the articles and the evidence of the Duke of Sussex that the targeting of him has had a profoundly distressing effect, with episodes of pleaded UIG described as ‘disturbing to feel that my every move, thought or feeling was being tracked and monitored just for the Mail to make money out of it’, ‘intrusion (that) was terrifying’ for loved ones, creating a ‘massive strain’ on personal relationships while invidiously ‘creating distrust and suspicion’ and ‘driv(ing) me paranoid beyond belief, isolating me’.” ANL has “vehemently” denied the allegations, calling them “preposterous”.

Harry, who has previously described himself as a “dragon slayer” in written submissions also told the court it is “disturbing to feel that my every move, thought or feeling was being tracked” so the publisher of the Daily Mail could “make money out of it”.

Among the Duke’s allegations are that a private investigator called Mike Behr was commissioned by journalists from the Mail group to unlawfully obtain flight details and the seat number of Harry’s then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy for her journey to South Africa, and that he suggested to journalists that they could “plant someone next to her”.

Other articles related to “the intimate family matter” of Harry being chosen as godfather to the child of his former nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke. Another was about Harry’s “intimate relationship” with presenter Natalie Pinkham, where Harry alleges his “privacy was invaded through the act of gathering information concerning him through UIG”.

In response, ANL told the court that the celebrities involved in the case had “leaky” social circles. The publisher said disclosures to the press about the private life of the Duke of Sussex in particular were “a not uncommon occurrence”.

Harry arrived this morning at the High Court to sit in the courtroom and listen to proceedings on the first day of the long-awaited trial, which is expected to last nine weeks.

Antony White KC, told the the court: “The reality is that the social circles of the celebrity claimants, ie all the claimants bar Baroness (Doreen) Lawrence and Sir Simon Hughes, were ‘leaky’ and their friends, and friends of friends, or associates, did regularly provide information to the press about the claimants’ private lives, for obvious reasons on a confidential basis.”

The KC said in written submissions that the articles in the case “were sourced entirely legitimately from information variously provided by contacts of the journalists responsible, including individuals in the Duke of Sussex’s social circle, press officers and publicists, freelance journalists, photographers and prior reports”.

He added: “At all material times, the Duke of Sussex’s social circle was and was known to be a good source of leaks or disclosure of information to the media about what he got up to in his private life.”

Mr White later said that Harry also discussed his private life in the media, and information about his life was also provided by Palace spokespeople. The Duke, who is expected to give evidence on Thursday, is not expected to see his father King Charles or his estranged brother Prince William while he is in the UK this week. The senior royals have appeared to keep their distance from Harry, 41, this week while attention is focused on Harry’s trial.

The King was in Scotland today meeting Scottish business leaders while the Prince and Princess of Wales are due in Stirling and Falkirk tomorrow shine a spotlight on unique Scottish heritage traditions. The case continues.

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