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Phone hacking at Trinity Mirror 'widespread' for a decade, says judge Phone hacking at Trinity Mirror 'widespread' for a decade, says judge
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Phone hacking at the tabloid publisher Trinity Mirror was “widespread and frequent” for a decade, a high court judge has ruled as he ordered the company to pay a record £1.2m in privacy damages to eight victims, including the actor Sadie Frost and ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne.Phone hacking at the tabloid publisher Trinity Mirror was “widespread and frequent” for a decade, a high court judge has ruled as he ordered the company to pay a record £1.2m in privacy damages to eight victims, including the actor Sadie Frost and ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne.
Related: Daily Mirror owners must pay £1.2m to celebrity phone-hacking victimsRelated: Daily Mirror owners must pay £1.2m to celebrity phone-hacking victims
In the first ruling of its kind, the judge, Mr Justice Mann, awarded £260,250 to Frost and £188,250 to Gascoigne to compensate for their “horror, distaste and distress” at having their most intimate voicemails intercepted daily by journalists at the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the People.In the first ruling of its kind, the judge, Mr Justice Mann, awarded £260,250 to Frost and £188,250 to Gascoigne to compensate for their “horror, distaste and distress” at having their most intimate voicemails intercepted daily by journalists at the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the People.
He added: “People whose private voicemail messages were hacked so often and for so long and had very significant parts of their private lives exposed, and then reported on, are entitled to significant compensation.”He added: “People whose private voicemail messages were hacked so often and for so long and had very significant parts of their private lives exposed, and then reported on, are entitled to significant compensation.”
The landmark ruling on Thursday came after a three-week trial in which eight phone-hacking victims – including Frost, Gascoigne and soap stars Lucy Taggart, Shane Richie and Shobna Gulati – described how their private lives were torn apart by mistrust and paranoia as they suspected their closest allies of leaking damaging stories to the tabloids.The landmark ruling on Thursday came after a three-week trial in which eight phone-hacking victims – including Frost, Gascoigne and soap stars Lucy Taggart, Shane Richie and Shobna Gulati – described how their private lives were torn apart by mistrust and paranoia as they suspected their closest allies of leaking damaging stories to the tabloids.
After the ruling it also emerged that:After the ruling it also emerged that:
The company, which apologised publicly to the victims just a fortnight before the trial began in March, is facing a possible criminal prosecution under Scotland Yard’s investigation into phone hacking at the titles.The company, which apologised publicly to the victims just a fortnight before the trial began in March, is facing a possible criminal prosecution under Scotland Yard’s investigation into phone hacking at the titles.
To date four journalists have been arrested and 14 have been interviewed under caution. They cannot be named for legal reasons. The Crown Prosecution Service is reviewing files of evidence in relation to the four arrested journalists to decide whether they can be charged or whether further detective work is required.To date four journalists have been arrested and 14 have been interviewed under caution. They cannot be named for legal reasons. The Crown Prosecution Service is reviewing files of evidence in relation to the four arrested journalists to decide whether they can be charged or whether further detective work is required.
The payouts were met with a mixture of sorrow, joy and relief by the eight victims, only three of whom attended court. Gulati turned and hugged Taggart when the judge said the victims had suffered “very substantially indeed”.The payouts were met with a mixture of sorrow, joy and relief by the eight victims, only three of whom attended court. Gulati turned and hugged Taggart when the judge said the victims had suffered “very substantially indeed”.
Related: Mirror chief questions size of phone-hacking payoutsRelated: Mirror chief questions size of phone-hacking payouts
Frost, sitting two seats away from them at the back of the courtroom, showed little emotion as the amounts of compensation were read out. Outside the courtroom, she told the Guardian: “It’s been a difficult time and a time to reflect. I’m relieved this is at an end and justice has been done.”Frost, sitting two seats away from them at the back of the courtroom, showed little emotion as the amounts of compensation were read out. Outside the courtroom, she told the Guardian: “It’s been a difficult time and a time to reflect. I’m relieved this is at an end and justice has been done.”
In a ruling that had to be heavily redacted for legal reasons, Mr Justice Mann said the invasions of privacy were “so serious and so prolonged” that they were all entitled to significant compensation. The payouts ranged from the £72,500 handed to Lauren Alcorn, a flight hostess whose phone was hacked during her brief relationship with the footballer Rio Ferdinand, to the £260,250 given to Frost.In a ruling that had to be heavily redacted for legal reasons, Mr Justice Mann said the invasions of privacy were “so serious and so prolonged” that they were all entitled to significant compensation. The payouts ranged from the £72,500 handed to Lauren Alcorn, a flight hostess whose phone was hacked during her brief relationship with the footballer Rio Ferdinand, to the £260,250 given to Frost.
Giving evidence during the trial, Frost described how she fell out with her close friend Kate Moss and former partner Jude Law, and even forced her mother to sign a confidentiality agreement, because she suspected them of leaking stories to the redtops.Giving evidence during the trial, Frost described how she fell out with her close friend Kate Moss and former partner Jude Law, and even forced her mother to sign a confidentiality agreement, because she suspected them of leaking stories to the redtops.
“Their use of voicemail was such that many aspects of their personal, medical and professional lives were, to a very significant degree, laid bare in the voicemails they left and in the voicemails they received,” the judge said in his ruling.“Their use of voicemail was such that many aspects of their personal, medical and professional lives were, to a very significant degree, laid bare in the voicemails they left and in the voicemails they received,” the judge said in his ruling.
However, in a Guardian interview, Fox said his company was considering an appeal against the size of the payouts, which dwarfed the previous highest sum given by a UK court in a privacy case – the £60,000 won by former Formula One boss Max Mosley over the News of the World’s “sick Nazi orgy” sting in 2008.However, in a Guardian interview, Fox said his company was considering an appeal against the size of the payouts, which dwarfed the previous highest sum given by a UK court in a privacy case – the £60,000 won by former Formula One boss Max Mosley over the News of the World’s “sick Nazi orgy” sting in 2008.
“The parents of the kids killed [in a Thomas Cook hotel] received £350,000 [in compensation]. Is it right that for hacking infringements someone should get close to that? That’s an interesting question,” Fox said.“The parents of the kids killed [in a Thomas Cook hotel] received £350,000 [in compensation]. Is it right that for hacking infringements someone should get close to that? That’s an interesting question,” Fox said.
The judge questioned whether Bailey, his predecessor, was correct when she told Lord Justice Leveson’s inquiry into press ethics in January 2012 that there was “no evidence and we saw no reason to investigate” allegations of phone hacking. Six years earlier, the company paid £20,000 to a former People reporter, David Brown, after he claimed in employment tribunal documents that journalists at that title routinely hacked phones.The judge questioned whether Bailey, his predecessor, was correct when she told Lord Justice Leveson’s inquiry into press ethics in January 2012 that there was “no evidence and we saw no reason to investigate” allegations of phone hacking. Six years earlier, the company paid £20,000 to a former People reporter, David Brown, after he claimed in employment tribunal documents that journalists at that title routinely hacked phones.
“Whether or not she had personal knowledge of phone hacking is not something that I can make a finding on, but Mr Brown’s statement might be thought of as being some evidence,” the judge said.“Whether or not she had personal knowledge of phone hacking is not something that I can make a finding on, but Mr Brown’s statement might be thought of as being some evidence,” the judge said.
He added: “I find that on the evidence that I heard (which I accept did not include evidence from the individuals concerned) wrong, not just disingenuous, statements were made to the Leveson inquiry by at least two deponents, and that the newspaper group was indeed putting up what was in effect a strong denial, from which it has had to resile.”
Trinity Mirror said in a statement: “Our subsidiary MGN Limited has already accepted that it should pay appropriate compensation to individuals who were the target of phone hacking. However, our initial view of the lengthy judgment is that the basis used for calculating damages is incorrect and we are therefore considering whether to seek permission to appeal.”Trinity Mirror said in a statement: “Our subsidiary MGN Limited has already accepted that it should pay appropriate compensation to individuals who were the target of phone hacking. However, our initial view of the lengthy judgment is that the basis used for calculating damages is incorrect and we are therefore considering whether to seek permission to appeal.”
Trinity Mirror’s share price was down 3.97% at Thursday’s close, at 175.25p, after the company told shareholders that it would increase its phone-hacking compensation fund because the cost of settling claims was “likely to be higher than previously anticipated”.Trinity Mirror’s share price was down 3.97% at Thursday’s close, at 175.25p, after the company told shareholders that it would increase its phone-hacking compensation fund because the cost of settling claims was “likely to be higher than previously anticipated”.
Fox said that Trinity Mirror was not keen to delay proceedings with an appeal but that an appeal could be used to question the new benchmark for privacy cases that had been set.Fox said that Trinity Mirror was not keen to delay proceedings with an appeal but that an appeal could be used to question the new benchmark for privacy cases that had been set.
“Prolonging this case is not in our interests, nor the interests of the claimants. It’s the last thing I want to do. However, I do need to be cognisant that these will set a benchmark for future claims.”“Prolonging this case is not in our interests, nor the interests of the claimants. It’s the last thing I want to do. However, I do need to be cognisant that these will set a benchmark for future claims.”