The China Mail - Prince Harry lawyers call for 'substantial damages' from UK tabloids

The publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday dismissed the allegations as "speculative" after nine weeks of dramatic testimonies and cross-examinations of celebrities, journalists and private investigators.

King Charles's estranged younger son Harry, pop star Elton John, and actor Elizabeth Hurley are among the seven public figures suing Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) for allegedly unlawfully gathering intimate information for stories.

They accuse the publisher of spying on them, including placing listening devices in cars and homes.

During an emotional day in the witness box in January, Harry accused the Daily Mail of making his wife Meghan's life "an absolute misery" and said he came to feel "paranoid beyond belief".

He and his co-claimants accuse the newspapers of authorising unlawful practices such as accessing private phone conversations and blagging -- impersonating individuals to obtain medical information.

ANL has denied all the claims, which relate to articles dating from 1993 to 2018.

"The court is invited to make a substantial award of damages, including aggravated damages, in respect of each of the (claimants) for misuse of their private information," lawyers representing the group said in the closing statement.

Closing the trial, Justice Matthew Nicklin said the judgement would take "some time", with a written judgement expected at a later date.

It is the third, and set to be final, case brought by the Duke of Sussex in his acrimonious legal battle with the British press.

Harry has long blamed the media for the death of his mother Princess Diana, who was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 while trying to shake off the paparazzi.

- 'By the book' -

Defence lawyers argued there was no "wide practice" of unlawful information gathering at the newspapers, adding the claimants were "clutching at straws."

"Ordinary, legitimate journalism, often drawing on previous reporting or confidential sources, is usually more likely than phone hacking or phone tapping or other forms of unlawful information gathering," Antony White, representing ANL, said in court.

David Sherborne, representing the claimants, accused the newspapers on Monday of "extensive use of private investigators".

But in his closing statement, White said while private investigators were sometimes used to obtain phone numbers and addresses, the journalists denied using unlawful means.

Journalist Barbara Jones, said she had done "everything by the book" and had uncovered information about the prince's former girlfriend on her own.

- 'Monstrous' -

The case saw a dramatic U-turn even before the start of the High Court trial, with a key witness retracting important statements.

Private investigator Gavin Burrows allegedly admitted to tapping phones and procuring private information for ANL in a 2021 witness statement.

But Burrows, retracted the statement last year, and told the court his so-called confessions were "fake" and forged.

Sherborneaccused Burrows of "switch(ing) sides out of revenge" after a spat with the claimants' team, which the private investigator denied.

Private investigator Dan Portley-Hanks, said he recalled working for The Mail in relation to Prince Harry.

"I know that I did unlawful stuff on him, but I cannot recall what exactly," he said in a written statement.

Harry, 41, stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and later relocated to California with Meghan amid a bitter royal family rift.

The couple, who have two children, have long complained about media intrusion and Meghan's treatment by Britain's newspapers after years of negative stories.

British actor Liz Hurley also broke down in tears while testifying, accusing ANL of "monstrous" conduct including planting secret microphones in her home's window.

A furious Elton John, testifying by video-link, accused the papers of "abhorrent" privacy invasions including accessing his family's medical records.

G.Fung--ThChM